Why would management want to share its decision-making power with subordinates? There are a number of good reasons. As jobs have become more complex, managers often don’t know everything their employees do. So participation allows those who know the most to contribute. The result can be better decisions. The interdependence in tasks that employees often do today also requires consultation with people in other departments and work units. This increases the need for committees and group meeting to resolve issues that affect them jointly. Participation additionally increases commitment to decisions. People are less likely to undermine a decision at the time of its implementation if they shared in making that decision. Finally, participation provides intrinsic rewards for employees. It can make their jobs more interesting and meaningful. This has become an increasing concern of younger and more highly educated workers.
Dozens of studies have been conducted on the participation-performance relationship. The findings, however, are mixed. When the research is looked at carefully, it appears that participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as employee productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the use of participative management can’t be beneficial under the right conditions. What it says, however, is that the use of participation is no sure means for improving employee performance.
Quality Circles
Currently, the most widely discussed form of participative management is the Quality circle. Originally begun in the United States and exported to Japan in the 1950s, the quality circle has been imported back to the United States. As it developed in Japan, the quality circle concept is frequently mentioned as one of the techniques that Japanese firms utilize that has allowed them to make high-quality products at low costs.
What is a quality circle? It’s a work group of eight to ten employees and supervisors who have a shared area of responsibility. They meet regularly typically once a week, on company premises to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes of the problems, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions. They take over the responsibility for solving quality problems, and they generate and evaluate their own feedback. But management typically retains control over the final decision regarding implementation of recommended solutions. Of course, it is not presumed that employees inherently have this ability to analyze and solve quality problems. Therefore, part of the quality circle concept includes teaching participating employees group communication skills, various quality strategies, and measurement and problem analysis techniques. Figure 8-3 describes a typical quality circle process.
Linking Participation and Motivation Theories
Participative management draws on a number of the motivation theories discussed in the previous chapter. For instance, Theory Y is consistent with participative management, while Theory X aligns with the more traditional autocratic style of managing people. In terms of motivation-hygiene theory participative management could provide employees with intrinsic motivation by increasing opportunities for growth, responsibility, and involvement in the work itself. Similarly, the process of making and implementing a decision, and then seeing it work out, can help satisfy an employee’s needs for responsibility, achievement, recognition, growth, and enhanced self-esteem. So participative management is compatible with ERG theory and efforts to stimulate the achievement need.
Why would management want to share its decision-making power with subordinates? There are a number of good reasons. As jobs have become more complex, managers often don’t know everything their employees do. So participation allows those who know the most to contribute. The result can be better decisions. The interdependence in tasks that employees often do today also requires consultation with people in other departments and work units. This increases the need for committees and group meeting to resolve issues that affect them jointly. Participation additionally increases commitment to decisions. People are less likely to undermine a decision at the time of its implementation if they shared in making that decision. Finally, participation provides intrinsic rewards for employees. It can make their jobs more interesting and meaningful. This has become an increasing concern of younger and more highly educated workers.
Dozens of studies have been conducted on the participation-performance relationship. The findings, however, are mixed. When the research is looked at carefully, it appears that participation typically has only a modest influence on variables such as employee productivity, motivation, and job satisfaction. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the use of participative management can’t be beneficial under the right conditions. What it says, however, is that the use of participation is no sure means for improving employee performance.
Quality Circles
Currently, the most widely discussed form of participative management is the Quality circle. Originally begun in the United States and exported to Japan in the 1950s, the quality circle has been imported back to the United States. As it developed in Japan, the quality circle concept is frequently mentioned as one of the techniques that Japanese firms utilize that has allowed them to make high-quality products at low costs.
What is a quality circle? It’s a work group of eight to ten employees and supervisors who have a shared area of responsibility. They meet regularly typically once a week, on company premises to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes of the problems, recommend solutions, and take corrective actions. They take over the responsibility for solving quality problems, and they generate and evaluate their own feedback. But management typically retains control over the final decision regarding implementation of recommended solutions. Of course, it is not presumed that employees inherently have this ability to analyze and solve quality problems. Therefore, part of the quality circle concept includes teaching participating employees group communication skills, various quality strategies, and measurement and problem analysis techniques. Figure 8-3 describes a typical quality circle process.
Linking Participation and Motivation Theories
Participative management draws on a number of the motivation theories discussed in the previous chapter. For instance, Theory Y is consistent with participative management, while Theory X aligns with the more traditional autocratic style of managing people. In terms of motivation-hygiene theory participative management could provide employees with intrinsic motivation by increasing opportunities for growth, responsibility, and involvement in the work itself. Similarly, the process of making and implementing a decision, and then seeing it work out, can help satisfy an employee’s needs for responsibility, achievement, recognition, growth, and enhanced self-esteem. So participative management is compatible with ERG theory and efforts to stimulate the achievement need.
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