Why Workplace Democracy Can Be Good Business

Reader Comments
Back to article

i liked your site

Rob Miller of MA 2:07AM October 13, 2009

Hello, Very good to read about the topic of Democracy in the workplace Several years ago I made an attempt to publish a newsletter with the title Democracy in the Workplace It did not develop as expected However I am still interested in the idea and would probably go with the title of Economic Justice next attempt to publish You may contact me in this connection as I am always glad to communicate with people who believe in the importance of this concept If interested I could send you a copy of what I had ready for publication in 1999 - 2000 Briefly, the first issue would have covered the history of the National Labor Relations Board , workplace safety issues , raising the minimum wage and union news that dealt with significant issues Plans were to have a copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in each issue of the newsletter

Robert Solnek of PA 10:44AM August 06, 2009

Any organization considering the move to a more democratic structure and process must read thoroughly about Open Systems Theory which is an evolution of Sociotechnical Systems theory. Fred Emery and Eric Trist, two eminent social scientists, pioneered the research in the British coal mines under sponsorship of the Tavistock Institute in the early 1950's. After Fred Emery died in 1997, his wife Merrelyn Emery continued his work and further developed Open Systems Theory and its description of Design Principle 1 (bureaucratic organization), Design Principle 2 (true democratic organization), and the six psychological characteristics of meaningful work.
Workplace democracy as it is currently described seems to be no more than a hodge-podge of sociological principles cobbled together with anecdotal information. In order for it to continue to develop and achieve its full potential, it must be rooted in bona fide theory and research. Merrelyn Emery has provided much of it, but business schools have ignored it. It is far past time for this situation to change.

Dr. Henry Hornstein 6:43PM May 31, 2009

Most managers, graduates of B Schools, tend to misunderstand the nature of their own business, especially when it's production. One-size-fits-all management goals and processes do not work, especially when you cross sectors from, say, finance to manufacturing. The most knowledgeable people are those who labor in the business and know how it runs. Their skill at adaptation and innovation is what makes a good company great. Pure ego keeps managers from acknowledging the worth of working people, but the best and most profitable companies use managers to facilitate what the workers need to do and incorporate workers' understanding of their processes into decision making on policy. The data bear out that worker owned and managed corporations are among the most profitable, and the more draconian the management, the more isolated the decision making from production, the more likely the business will fail. Management needs to get out of the way. Workers need to have input. If that means revising Taft Hartley, then let's do so. We need all the intelligence we can get.

E.C. Sholes of CA 1:01PM November 04, 2008