A Critique of Worker Participation in New Zealand

Abstract

The term 'worker participation' is popular currency within public, business and governmental circles at the present time. One might infer from the manner in which it is being hailed , in some countries, as a sort of industrial philosopher's stone, that the idea is a new one. However, even the most cursory examination of the literature will reveal that this is not the case. Worker participation is an idea which surfaced on many previous occasions, only to sink once again into relative obscurity. Perhaps the most recent strong manifestation of interest, prior to the present revival, is to be found in the ideas of the Guild Socialists.' Although there was something of a decline in the popularity of this philosophy after the 1920s, developments have continued apace in some countries until the present day. Nevertheless, in recent times there has been yet another upsurge in interest and publicity, curiously enough particularly amongst management. I use the term 'curiously' since one of the features of previous exponents of worker participation has been their classification amongst the ranks of the more left-wing elements of society, hardly a label to be used for most modern managements. How then are we to account for this upsurge of interest in worker participation? This is the question to which this paper will be addressed.