What is Participative Management?

Participative Management :

          Participative management is based on the concept that a worker invests his labour and ties his fate to his place of work and therefore he has a right to be associated in the process of decision making and influencing various aspects of company policy. The champions of industrial democracy argue that a worker is not a slave. Like any other citizen he has opinion of his own which should be taken into account when decisions are made and policies are formulated. Participation actually suggests mental and emotional involvement and not only physical presence. Workers participate collectively as a group through their representatives. Participative management is based on four pillars. These are:

(a)     communication

(b)     consultation

(c)     codetermination and

(d)     self-management.

Participative management can be introduced at four different levels viz., shopfloor, plant, department and corporate levels.