THE IMPACT OF WORKPLACE PARTICIPATION: A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS (WORKER SELF-MANAGEMENT)

Worker participation in decision making is hypothesized to have behavioral and attitudinal consequences for the participant. The participatory democratic school predicts that workplace participation significantly increases political participation and the attitudes associated with active involvement in politics. The participatory left hypothesizes that workplace participation results in increased support for socialist socio-political orientations and in increased political participation. The humanistic psychology and management schools predict that worker involvement in decision making at their workplaces significantly increases the self-esteem of the participant and her/his satisfaction with the workplace. Utilizing panel data on shareholders in worker owned and operated plywood cooperatives and union members in a traditionally organized plywood factory, this study tests these hypotheses. Cooperative participation is shown to significantly increase communal political participation and involvement in voluntary organizations but is not significantly related to voting, campaign activity, political attitudes, socio-political orientations, satisfaction with the workplace or participant self-esteem. Union participation is not causally related to any of the behaviors or attitudes examined.