1. PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT
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EXCEL BOOKS
PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

2. INTRODUCTION ANNOTATED OUTLINE
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ANNOTATED OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION
Participation has a unique motivational power and a great psychological value. It promotes harmony and peace between workers and management. Workers’ participation in management aims at improving the quality of working life and thereby secure cooperation and commitment from workers.
Participation And Empowerment

3. Workers’ Participation in Management: Different Views
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Workers’ Participation in Management: Different Views
An instrument for establishing harmonious industrial relations
A device for promoting solidarity among workers
A way of tapping human talent by encouraging workers to come out with ideas and suggestions
A means of motivating workers and obtain the best from them
A humanitarian act, elevating the status of worker in the society
An ideological weapon to develop self-management
Participation And Empowerment

4. Forms of Participation
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Forms of Participation
WPM is generally interpreted in four different ways
Sharing information with workers
Joint consultation prior to decision making (workers consulted, taken into confidence, suggestions invited to solve an issue)
Sharing information, offering participation and involving workers in the joint decision making process while solving work related problems.
Involving workers in all strategic, policy and operational issue, treating them as equal partners with equal voting rights and encouraging workers to self-manage and self-control activities.
Participation And Empowerment

5. Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
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Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
The participation of workers in management is not a novel idea, imported from outside. It has native flavour and is being favoured by corporate houses in India even before Independence.
Mill committees, of course, were there to take care of workers' grievances.
The Royal Commission on Labour recommended the establishment of a joint consultative machinery for settling disputes between labour and management.
The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 created a formal mechanism through the Works Committees to resolve differences between labour and management over matters relating to conditions of work.
The Second Five Year Plan advocated the setting up of Joint Management Councils
Participation And Empowerment

6. Joint Management Councils 1958
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Joint Management Councils 1958
Objectives
Promote cordial industrial relations
Improve operational efficiency of workers
Provide welfare facilities to workers
Educate and prepare workers for meaningful participation in organisational matters
Criteria for setting up JMCs
The unit must have 500 or more workers
It should have a fair record of industrial relations
It should have a well organised trade union, affiliated to one of the central federations.
Both management and workers should agree to the setting up of such a unit
Evaluation
Failed to make much headway due to unenthusiastic response from unions and workers
Management, on the other hand, was mentally reluctant to share ideas and power with workers in a meaningful manner.
Participation And Empowerment

7. Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
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Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
The idea of workers assuming the role of a board member came into being in 1970s. The scheme required verification of trade union membership, identification of the representative union and the selection of a worker director who is chosen out of a panel of three names furnished to the government by the representative union within a prescribed time period.
Shop and joint councils gained popularity from 1975 on wards. The joint council would be constituted, comprising of representatives from both management and labour, for a period of two years.
From 1990 on wards, a three-tier participatory scheme as proposed: giving participation to workers at three levels: shop floor, enterprise and board level.
Participation And Empowerment

8. Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
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Government Policy Towards Workers’ Participation
Evaluation
The various schemes of participation have failed to deliver satisfactory results due to reasons such as
Employer's reluctance
Workers' apathy
Illiteracy( workers not fully prepared to face the challenge)
Lack of knowledge
Inter union and intra union rivalry
Lack of support from government
Participation And Empowerment

9. Effective Workers’ Participation In Management
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Effective Workers’ Participation In Management
In order to make the scheme more effective, certain conditions should be satisfied
Managerial attitudes
Union cooperation
Meaningful participation
Workers' attitudes
The scheme, however, proved to be a big hit in some well-known public and private sector organisations (such as TISCO, BHEL, MARUTI) where both management and workers were willing to invest their time and energies in ensuring the success of the scheme.
Participation And Empowerment

10. WPM: MARUTI WAY Minimise distinctions between employees
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WPM: MARUTI WAY
Minimise distinctions between employees
Promote teamwork and employee involvement at all levels
Meet unions regularly to clarify things
Exchange facts openly
Encourage employees to come out with suggestions, ideas
Allow employee participation in equity
Participation And Empowerment

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Empowerment
Giving employees the authority to make decisions and providing them with financial resources to implement these decisions is called 'empowerment'. There are four essential conditions necessary for empowerment to gain credibility and acceptance at various levels in an organisation:
Participation
Innovation
Information
Accountability
Participation And Empowerment

12. Alternative Approaches To Participation
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Alternative Approaches To Participation
A. Quality Circles
A quality circle is a small group of employees who meet periodically to identify, analyse and solve quality and other work related problems in their area. The main features of a quality circle may be stated thus:
Voluntary group
Manageable size
Regular interaction
Own agenda
Quality focus
Participation And Empowerment

13. Objectives of quality circles
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Objectives
Objectives of quality circles
Improve quality of service/product
Satisfy psychological needs of employees
Utilise human talents and skills fully through self expression, participation
Improve quality of working life
Pave the way for cordial industrial relations
Participation And Empowerment

14. Alternative Approaches To Participation
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Alternative Approaches To Participation
Struture of a quality circle
Quality circle members
Quality circle leader
Facilitator
Steering committee
How quality circles work?
Identify problems
Analyse problems
Recommend solutions
Participation And Empowerment

15. Why Quality Circles Fail?
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Why Quality Circles Fail?
Inadequate preparation, and consequently, poor presentation from members
Poor training given to workers
Interference from management
Picking up favourites to fulfil the agenda fixed by management
Trying to use quality circles to meet short term, quantifiable goals
Quality circle leaders not fully qualified in terms of experience competence
Inadequate facilities extended by management
Participation And Empowerment

16. How To Make Quality Circles Effective?
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How To Make Quality Circles Effective?
Suggestions for effective use of quality circles
Obtain managerial support and involvement for the programme.
Identify goals for the programme and evaluation criteria.
Do not expect the QC programme to solve all problems in the organisation.
Make sure managers realise that any changes will take time.
Inform all employees about the philosophy and goals of the programme.
Keep the programme voluntary.
Select group members based on their technical expertise and their support of the programme's goals.
Prepare individuals for their new roles in a participative culture.
Provide training for managers as coordinators.
Offer training for support staff who will serve as facilitators.
Start with a pilot test of the programme in a supportive department.
Implement the suggestions made by employees.
Give recognition for employees' efforts.
Participation And Empowerment

17. Alternative Approaches To Participation
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Alternative Approaches To Participation
B. Quality Of Working Life
It is the degree to which members of a work organisation are able to satisfy important personal needs through their experiences in the organisation.
Participation And Empowerment

18. Major issues in quality of working life
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Major issues in quality of working life
Pay
Benefits
Job security
Alternative work schedules
Flexitime
Staggered hours
Compressed work week
Job enrichment
Autonomous work groups
Occupational stress
Workers' participation
Social integration
Work and total life space.
Participation And Empowerment

19. How to measure quality of working life?
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How to measure quality of working life?
Turnover data
Morale surveys
Number of grievances handled
Absenteeism data
Performance criteria
Personal interviews carried out from time to time
Obstacles to quality of working life programme
Managerial attitudes
Union's attitudes
Cost considerations
Participation And Empowerment

20. Improving the quality of working life
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Improving the quality of working life
Better employment conditions governing employee safety, health and physical environment
Equitable rewards in terms of pay, benefits, incentives and services
Job security
Enhancing the self-esteem of people
Participative climate and team spirit
Training to employees, managers and supervisors
Autonomy to draw resources and deliver results
Recognition for work done
Job design and job enrichment
Open and transparent management style
Atmosphere of trust and open communication.
Participation And Empowerment