The importance of employee participation in the company

Being part of a company does not only imply going to the office every day, but it also means being part of the organisation. This is something that the administrative body of the company has to take into account. Involving workers in running the company means a greater commitment on their part, and in the end, this translates into an improvement in the company’s results.

Participatory management stems from the idea of involving employees in the decision-making process. Feeling that we are valued in our job is a key element for productivity; recognition is something that any employee seeks when performing his or her duties. We have talked before about the fact that it is not only the salary range that matters to employees, but often they are looking more for a job that motivates them. And therefore, from the employer’s point of view, it is important to encourage employee participation in the company, thus achieving employee motivation, which in the end will translate into higher productivity for the company. Therefore, participative management means, on the one hand, the satisfaction of the employees’ need for self-fulfilment and, on the other hand, the need to solve the problems that arise in the company.

Following a strategy that promotes employee participation does not mean that all problems are delegated to the employees or, on the contrary, unimportant problems; rather, it is the active involvement of employees in identifying, analysing and solving problems that make it difficult to achieve the company’s objectives.

Companies that follow a participative management strategy can use different mechanisms to achieve this employee participation in the company. They can do this through a suggestion box through which workers can submit their ideas for improving the work situation; they can also do it through trade unions through which different working conditions can be modified. Another way of managing managerial participation is through management by objectives, a system for both managers and employees to set and review work performance objectives. Participatory management can also be carried out through committees, special task forces, works councils, etc. In addition, it can also be carried out through committees, i.e. groups of people in which workers at different levels participate.