Participation is based on democratic value of organizational life.
The basic feature of democracy as applied to organizational life can be seen by
quoting Bennis. He observes that democracy is not permissive or laissez faire,
but system of values – a climate of beliefs governing behavior – which people
are internally compelled to affirm by deeds as well as words. These values
include:
1.
Full
and free communication, regardless of rank and power.
2.
A
reliance on consensus rather then on the more customary forms of coercion of
compromise, to manage conflict.
3.
The
idea that influence is based on technical competence and knowledge than on the
vagaries of personal whims or prerogative of power.
4.
An
atmosphere that permits and even encourages emotional expressions as well as
task oriented acts and
5.
A
basically human bias, one which accepts the inevitability of conflict between
the organization and individual but which is willing to cope with and mediate in this conflict on rational
grounds.
Such values involve participative management in the organization
which incorporates getting things done through other people by creating a
situation in which subordinates may develop mental and emotional involvement in
a group situation which encourages them to contribute to group goals and share
the responsibility in them. There are important ideas in this concept of
participation. Mental and emotional involvement , acceptance of responsibility
and motivation to contribute.
1.
Mental and emotional involvement: Perhaps the basic feature of participative system is mental and
emotional involvement which emphasizes humanization of administrative system.
The involvement is psychological rather then physical. A person who
participates is ego – involved instead of merely task – involved. If there is
no mental and emotional involvement, it is not participation in real sense,
rather a pseudo – participation which implies that the manager tries to make
people think they are participating and having an influence while really they
do not. It is manipulation in nature.
2.
Acceptance of responsibility: A second characteristic of participation is that it encourages
people to accept responsibility. Since people have active participation in
decision – making, they are both decision – makers and executors. Thus, it is a
social process by which people become self – involved in an organization and
want it to work successfully. Davis observes that ‘as individuals begin to
accept responsibility for group activities, they begin to be interested in, and
receptive to ream work, because they see in it a way to do what to do, that is
to get a job done for which they feel responsible. This idea of getting the
group to want teamwork is the key step in developing it into a successful work
unit. When people want to do something, they will find a way. Under these
conditions, employees perceive managers as supportive contributors to the team.
Employees are ready to work actively with mangers, rather reactively against them.
3.
Motivation to contribute:
A third feature of participation is that it motivates persons to contribute to
the situation. They are given opportunities to release their won resources of
initiative and creativity towards the objectives of the organization. Thus, it
is different from consent in that the latter process only confirms what has
already been decided. A consenter does not contribute to decision – making
rather he merely approves. Participation uses the creativity of all persons
thereby all of them contributes something in decision making.
