participative management program

8/3/2019 Participative Management Program

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Introduction :

In this research about participative management program , I am going to investigate

the importance of the participation of the employees in the core business of the entities as

it is considered anew approach in management for some administrators . first I will

define the term and I will support my work with some points of view to the writers in this

field / I will also show the other theories in relation with human resources management

as an important thing related with the current research . many have already defined the

term of participated management program and they all shared that it is the management

style in which the employees are involved in the administration within the company or

the organization . it has been said that the employees share the decision making process

and participate in setting goals and planning .

What is participative management program ?

Participative management is a part of the broader concept of Employee Involvement.

Employee involvement is defined as a participative process that uses the entire capacity

of employees and is designed to encourage increased commitment to the organizational

success(cited in Robbins 2003). However, participative management is a technique of

joint decision making; That is, subordinates actually share a significant degree of

decision-making power with their immediate superiors (Robbins 2003). Participative

management increases performance, productivity, job satisfaction and motivation.


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However there are papers that doubt the efficiency of participative management. 1But

there also are situations in which participative management, saying can be time-wasting

and counterproductive. It can reduce peoples effectiveness and job satisfaction

(Herman 1989). Robbins (2003)says that there are dozens of research showing that

participation has only a modest influence on productivity, motivation and job

satisfaction. But the problem is not in participation itself. Participation is effective if it is

done in the right conditions (Robbins 2003) and with the right implications (Juechter

1982).

Another definition is :

The employee involvement or participative decision making, encourages the

involvement of stakeholders at all levels of an organization in the analysis of problems,

development of strategies, and implementation of solutions. Employees are invited to

share in the decision-making process of the firm by participating in activities such as

setting goals, determining work schedules, and making suggestions. Other forms of

participative management include increasing the responsibility of employees (job

enrichment); forming self-managed teams, quality circles, or quality-of-work-life

committees; and soliciting survey feedback. Participative management, however,

involves more than allowing employees to take part in making decisions. It also involves

management treating the ideas and suggestions of employees with consideration and

1Cotton, J.L. (1993). Employee Involvement: Methods for improving performance

and work Attitudes. Sage Publications.

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respect. The most extensive form of participative management is direct employee

ownership of a company.

Four processes influence participation. These processes create employee involvement

as they are pushed down to the lowest levels in an organization. The farther down these

processes move, the higher the level of involvement by employees. The four processes

include:2

1. Information sharing, which is concerned with keeping employees

informed about the economic status of the company.

2. Training, which involves raising the skill levels of employees and offering

development opportunities that allow them to apply new skills to make effective

decisions regarding the organization as a whole.

3. Employee decision making, which can take many forms, from

determining work schedules to deciding on budgets or processes.

4. Rewards, which should be tied to suggestions and ideas as well as

performance.

Benefits Of Participative Management:

A participative management style offers various benefits at all levels of the

organization. By creating a sense of ownership in the company, participative

management instills a sense of pride and motivates employees to increase productivity in

2Cotton, J.L. (1993). Employee Involvement: Methods for improving performance


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order to achieve their goals. Employees who participate in the decisions of the company

feel like they are a part of a team with a common goal, and find their sense of self-esteem

and creative fulfillment heightened.

Managers who use a participative style find that employees are more receptive to

change than in situations in which they have no voice. Changes are implemented more

effectively when employees have input and make contributions to decisions. Participation

keeps employees informed of upcoming events so they will be aware of potential

changes. The organization can then place itself in a proactive mode instead of a reactive

one, as managers are able to quickly identify areas of concern and turn to employees for

solutions.

Participation helps employees gain a wider view of the organization. Through training,

development opportunities, and information sharing, employees can acquire the

conceptual skills needed to become effective managers or top executives. It also

increases the commitment of employees to the organization and the decisions they make.

Creativity and innovation are two important benefits of participative management. By

allowing a diverse group of employees to have input into decisions, the organization

benefits from the synergy that comes from a wider choice of options. When all

employees, instead of just managers or executives, are given the opportunity to

participate, the chances are increased that a valid and unique idea will be suggested.3

Requirements Of Participative Management:

3Dachler, H., &Wilpert, B. (1978). Conceptual Dimensions and Boundaries of

Participation in Organizations: A Critical Evaluation.Administrative Science Quarterly,

23(1), 1-39. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

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A common misconception by managers is that participative management involves

simply asking employees to participate or make suggestions. Effective programs involve

more than just a suggestion box. In order for participative management to work, several

issues must be resolved and several requirements must be met. First, managers must be

willing to relinquish some control to their workers; managers must feel secure in their

position in order for participation to be successful. Often managers do not realize that

employees' respect for them will increase instead of decrease when they implement a

participative management style.

The success of participative management depends on careful planningand a slow,

phased approach. Changing employees' ideas about management takes time, as does any

successful attempt at a total cultural change from a democratic or autocratic style of

management to a participative style. Long-term employees may resist changes, not

believing they will last. In order for participation to be effective, managers must be

genuine and honest in implementing the program. Many employees will need to

consistently see proof that their ideas will be accepted or at least seriously considered.

The employees must be able to trust their managers and feel they are respected4.

What does a successful participation require?

Successful participation requires managers to approach employee involvement with an

open mind. They must be open to new ideas and alternatives in order for participative

management to work. It is important to remember that although the manager may not

4Dachler, H., &Wilpert, B. (1978). Conceptual Dimensions and Boundaries of

Participation in Organizations: A Critical Evaluation.Administrative Science Quarterly,

23(1), 1-39. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

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agree with every idea or suggestion an employee makes, how those ideas are received is

critical to the success of participative management.

Employees must also be willing to participate and share their ideas. Participative

management does not work with employees who are passive or simply do not care. Many

times employees do not have the skills or information necessary to make good

suggestions or decisions. In this case it is important to provide them with information or

training so they can make informed choices. Encouragement should be offered in order to

accustom employees to the participative approach. One way to help employees engage in

the decision-making process is by knowing their individual strengths and capitalizing on

them. By guiding employees toward areas in which they are knowledgeable, a manager

can help to ensure their success.5

Before expecting employees to make valuable contributions, managers should provide

them with the criteria that their input must meet. This will aid in discarding ideas or

suggestions that cannot be implemented, are not feasible, or are too expensive. Managers

should also give employees time to think about ideas or alternative decisions. Employees

often do not do their most creative thinking on the spot.

Another important element for implementing a successful participative management

style is the visible integration of employees' suggestions into the final decision or

implementation. Employees need to know that they have made a contribution. Offering

5Herman, S. M. Participative Management Is A Double-Edged Sword. Training; Jan

1989; 26, 1; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 52

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employees a choice in the final decision is important because it increases their

commitment, motivation, and job satisfaction. Sometimes even just presenting several

alternatives and allowing employees to choose from them is as effective as if they

thought of the alternatives themselves. If the employees' first choice is not feasible,

management might ask for an alternative rather than rejecting the employee input. When

an idea or decision is not acceptable, managers should provide an explanation. If

management repeatedly strikes down employee ideas without implementing them,

employees will begin to distrust management, thus halting participation. The key is to

build employee confidence so their ideas and decisions become more creative and sound.

Managers And Participative Management :

Participative management is not a magic cure for all that ails an organization.

Managers should carefully weigh the pros and the cons before implementing this style of

management. Managers must realize that changes will not take effect overnight and will

require consistency and patience before employees will begin to see that management is

serious about employee involvement. Participative management is probably the most

difficult style of management to practice. It is challenging not only for managers but for

employees as well.6

While it is important that management allows employees to participate in decision

making and encourages involvement in the organization's direction, managers must be

6Herman, S. M. Participative Management Is A Double-Edged Sword. Training; Jan

1989; 26, 1; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 52

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cognizant of the potential for employees to spend more time formulating suggestions and

less time completing their work. Upper-level management will not support a participative

management program if they believe employees are not meeting their daily or weekly

goals. Some suggestions for overcoming this potential problem are to set aside a

particular time each week for workers to meet with management in order to share their

ideas, or to allow them to work on their ideas during less busy times of the day or week.

Another idea that works for some managers is to allow employees to set up individual

appointments to discuss ideas or suggestions.7

Advices for managers :

Managers should remember that participative management is not always the

appropriate way to handle a given situation. Employees often respect a manager that uses

his or her authority and makes decisions when it is necessary. There are times when, as a

manager, it is important to be in charge, make a decision, and then accept the

responsibility for the choices made. For example, participative management is probably

not appropriate when disciplinary action is needed.

When managers look upon their own jobs as a privilege instead of as a responsibility,

they will fail at making participative management work. They will be less willing to turn

over some of the decision-making responsibility to subordinates. Another reason that

participative management fails is that managers do not realize it is not the same as

7Lawler, E.I. (1986). High-Involvement management: Participative Strategies For

Improving Organizational Performance. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

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delegating or simply shifting responsibility. Participation alone has no value; it is only an

effective tool if it is used to solve problems and meet goals. Some managers believe that

inviting employees to join in meetings and form committees will create a successful

participative management program. However, these measures are only successful when

employees' ideas are accepted by management and implemented.8

The larger the organization, the more difficult it becomes to institute a participative

management style. Large organizations have more layers and levels, which complicate

effective communication and make it difficult to register the opinions and suggestions of

a diverse group of employees and managers. Critics argue that unions are often more

effective than participative management in responding to employee needs because union

efforts can cut through bureaucratic organizations more quickly.

Participative management has clear goals and does not turn over the organization to

employees. There is still a hierarchy but it is not a dominant hierarchy, which dictates

everything to employees. A non-dominant hierarchy has as many levels as are necessary

to do the work of the organization. People have clear roles and responsibilities and

manage themselves as much as possible. Management tells people what the strategy is

and what is expected in terms of results and then allows people to figure out the how to

deliver on management expectations. Top management still decides strategy and front

line employees still focus on their primary tasks. The difference is that the criteria for

8Huang, T. (1997). The effect of participative management on organizational

performance: the case of Taiwan.International Journal of Human Resource

Management, 8(5), 677-689.

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superior performance are utilized and leveraged for the success of the organization. The

criteria for superior performance are drivers of behavior, reasons why people get up in

the morning and are enthusiastic about their work. Pay is considered a satisfier all things

being equal. The criteria for superior performance are:

Control

Learning

Variety

Mutual Support and Respect

A Promising Future

Engage one or several of their preferred life interests

Challenges that match and stretch individual skills

Concentration and Focus

Fun

When the criteria for superior performance are leveraged in an organization the

performance will dramatically improve. This has been demonstrated over and over again

in thousands of organizations all over the world.9

Resistance to the Participative Management Process

Whenever there is change we can expect resistance to the process. Many people do not

welcome change even if it is in their best interests. People do not want to lose power and

9http://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htm

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http://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htmhttp://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htm


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control. It is the fear of the unknown that causes problems for people. Wilfred Bion's

work on group process, or what he calls fight or flight behaviors, or dependency is

constantly at play in most bureaucratic organizations. Most organizations are still in part

bureaucratic. People will either fight or run away and these behaviors can be very subtle

in nature. A question to ask is what does the person acting out perceive they have to lose

if a new initiative takes root?

An effective method for managing this type of situation is to reassure the person or group

that the change is for the best interest of the organization. From our facilitation

experience, all stakeholders are likely to reap tangible and intangible rewards. A top

manager that is interested in having a successful Participative Management initiative will

be on the constant look out for sabotaging behaviors from threatened individuals.

Another behavior to be on the look out for is pairing. Threatened individuals will want to

pair up with another individual or one who he/she perceives has power and attempt to

inhibit the new participative initiative.

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Examples and possible results using participative management...

Results using Participative Management at a Manufacturing Plant were dramatic. Mr.

Daniel reports the situation at QuietFlex has dramatically


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By incorporating participative strategies at our company, employees have been given a

role in solving future problems. Participative Design has "given the managers a way to

deal with specific issues. Now they know to ask the employees to really define the

problem and what they think the solution should be." Mr. Daniel is pleased how CCI

helped his organization both increase quality production and communicate with their

workers. "I ask everyone to bring me solutions with their problems," he says.11


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Participative Management at a Mental Health Clinic (healthcare) helped turn around the

performance and increase productivity.

Immediate Results: Ms. Driscoll reports that group performance has improved

dramatically. They have increased face time with clients by 33%. Another positive result

of incorporating Flow into their work is that people who enjoy working with children or

with geriatric clients are able to choose that work. This choice creates a greater fit

between the individuals interests and skills and the work they do. Although it may seem

small, the individual's opportunity to choose greatly improves both the quality of service

and overall morale.

Long-term Results: The mental health group used the output of the work redesign to

create two cross-functional teams, a specialized clinical unit and a service coordination

team and to institute a better process for conducting rounds. Communication is more

effective and overall administration works more effectively. People take positive control

over their work and strive to problem-solve creatively and continuously. Other clinic

locations now use the work of the Southwest group to improve their own work processes.

Incorporating the criteria for superior performance is allowing these organizations to

dramatically improve their performance.

Threatens Of Participation Programs:

Participative management programs can be threatened by office politics. Due to hidden

agendas and peer pressure, employees may keep their opinions to themselves and refuse

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to tell a manager if they feel an idea will not work. Managers also play a part in politics

when they implement participative management programs to impress their own bosses

but have no intention of seeing them through.12

Many companies have experienced the positive effects of participative management.

Employees are more committed and experience more job satisfaction when they are

allowed to participate in decision making. Organizations have reported that productivity

improved significantly when managers used a participative style. Participative

management is not an easy management style to implement. It presents various

challenges and does not succeed overnight. Managers will be more successful if they

remember that it will take time and careful planning before they will see results. Starting

with small projects that encourage and reward participation is one way to get employees

to believe that management is sincere and trustworthy.13

Conclusion :


13Huang, T. (1997). The effect of participative management on organizational


Management, 8(5), 677-689.

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One of the leading challenges in public management has been implementing effective

human capital strategies to enhance government performance and accountability. As a

result of the emphasis on performance and results-oriented government services,

researchers in public administration and government agencies have stressed effective

human resources management strategies such as job satisfaction, team empowerment,

participative management, and strategic planning. This research was very helpful to

define the term and recognize the participative management program.

References :

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Websites :

1. http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/participative-

management

2. http://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htm

books & Journals

1.Cotton, J.L. (1993). Employee Involvement: Methods for improving performance


2. Dachler, H., &Wilpert, B. (1978). Conceptual Dimensions and Boundaries of

Participation in Organizations: A Critical Evaluation.Administrative Science

Quarterly, 23(1), 1-39. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

3. Enrick, N. L., Lester Jr., R. H., &MottleyJr, H. E. (1983). Quality Circles:

Motivation Through Participation.Industrial Management, 25(2), 1.Retrieved

from EBSCOhost.

4. Herman, S. M. Participative Management Is A Double-Edged Sword. Training;

Jan 1989; 26, 1; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 52

5. Huang, T. (1997). The effect of participative management on organizational


Management, 8(5), 677-689.

6. Juechter, W.M. (1982). The pros and cons of participative

management. Management Review, 71(9), 44.Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/participative-managementhttp://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/participative-managementhttp://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htmhttp://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/participative-managementhttp://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/participative-managementhttp://www.flowmanagement.net/studies/pma.htm


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7. Lawler, E.I. (1986). High-Involvement management: Participative Strategies For

Improving Organizational Performance. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass Inc.

8.Loch, C. H., Sting, F. J., Bauer, N., &Mauermann, H. (2010). How BMW Is

Defusing the Demographic Time Bomb.Harvard Business Review, 88(3), 99-102.

9. Miller, K. I., &Monge, P. R. (1986). Participation, Satisfaction, And Productivity:

A Meta-analytic Review.Academy of Management Journal, 29(4), 727-753.

Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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