Despite considerable awareness about various forms and meanings of participative decision-making (PDM) in different parts of the world, there is less agreement on the causes of variation in PDM. This article argues that among other exogenous (e.g. sociopolitical, legal, historical) forces, the sociocultural context plays an important role in the observed differences among PDM approaches and practices across nations. Similarly, subcultures and organizational cultures may influence PDM within nations. Two cultural dimensions: individualism-collectivism and power distance, are linked with four widespread employee participation approaches: face-to-face PDM, collective PDM, pseudo-PDM, and paternalistic PDM. The attributes of each PDM form, including the cultural determinants, underlying beliefs, the types of decisions made, and the relationship between a specified form and other PDM meanings (e.g. self-managing teams) are elaborated.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Adler, P.S. The `learning bureaucracy': New United Motor Manufacturing. In B.M. Staw & L.L. Cummings (Eds), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 15). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press , 1993, pp. 111-194.
2.
Ali, A.J. Decision-making style, individualism, and attitudes toward risk of Arab executives . International Studies of Management and Organizations, 1993, 23, 53-73 .
3.
Andriessen, J.H.E. The introduction of networking technology in organizations: Increasing freedom and control. In P.J.D. Drenth, P.L. Koopman & B. Wilpert (Eds), Organizational decision-making under different economic and political conditions. Amsterdam: North-Holland , 1996, pp. 127-137.
4.
Argyris, C. Intervention theory and method: A behavioral science view. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley , 1970.
5.
Aycan, Z. Anatolian tigers: Management and human resource practices . Paper presented at the 6th National Congress of Management and Organizations, Istanbul, Turkey, May 1999.
6.
Aycan, Z. Paternalism: Towards conceptual refinement and operationalization. In K.S. Yang, K.K. Hwang & U. Kim (Eds), Scientific advances in indigenous psychologies: Empirical, philosophical, and cultural contributions. London: Sage , in press.
7.
Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R.N., Mendonca, M., Yu, K., Deller, J., Stahl, G. & Khursid, A. Impact of culture on human resource management practices: A ten-country comparison . Applied Psychology: An International Review, 2000, 49(1), 192-220 .
8.
Balaton, K. Characteristics of strategic decisions during a period of transition. In P.J.D. Drenth, P.L. Koopman & B. Wilpert (Eds), Organizational decision-making under different economic and political conditions. Amsterdam: North-Holland , 1996, pp. 169-179.
9.
Bass, B.M. Decision-making and organizational culture. In P.J.D. Drenth, P.L. Koopman & B. Wilpert (Eds), Organizational decision-making under different economic and political conditions. Amsterdam: North-Holland , 1996.
10.
Clarke, O. Industrial democracy in Great Britain . International Studies of Management and Organization, 1987, 17(2), 38-51 .
11.
Cohen, S.G., Ledford, G.E., Jr. & Spreitzer, G.M. A predictive model of self-managing work teams effectiveness . Human Relations, 1996, 49, 643-676 .
12.
Cotton, J.L. Employee involvement. In C.L. Cooper & I.T. Robertson (Eds), International review of industrial and organizational psychology (Vol. 11). New York: Wiley , 1996, pp. 219-242.
13.
Dickson, J.W. Top managers' beliefs and rationales for participation . Human Relations, 1982, 35, 203-217 .
14.
Earley, P.C. East meets West meets Mideast: Further explorations of collectivistic and individualistic work groups . Academy of Management Journal, 1993, 36, 319-348 .
15.
Erez, M. The congruence of goal setting strategies with socio-cultural values and its effect on performance . Journal of Management, 1986, 12, 585-592 .
16.
Etzioni, A. Man and society: The inauthentic condition . Human Relations, 1969, 22, 325-332 .
17.
Frese, M. Entrepreneurship in East Europe: A general model and empirical findings. In C.L. Cooper & D.M. Rousseau (Eds), Trends in organizational behavior (Vol. 2). Chichester: Wiley , 1995, pp. 65-83.
18.
Haire, M., Ghiselli, E.E. & Porter, L.W. Managerial thinking: An international study. New York: Wiley , 1966.
19.
Hartman, H. Codetermination in West Germany . Industrial Relations, 1970, 9, 137-147 .
20.
Hayes, J. & Kleiner, B.H. Culture: The efficacy of different modes of consultation . Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 1989, 10(1), 24-32 .
21.
Heller, F.A. Managerial decision-making: A study of leadership styles and power sharing among senior managers. London: Tavistock , 1971.
22.
Heller, F.A., Drenth, P., Koopman, P. & Rus, V. Decisions in organizations: A three country comparative study. London: Sage , 1988.
23.
Heller, F.A., Pusic, E., Strauss, G. & Wilpert, B. Organizational participation: Myth and reality. New York: Oxford University Press , 1998.
24.
Helman, A. The Israeli kibbutz as a Socialist model . Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics, 1992, 148(1), 168-183 .
25.
Hofstede, G. Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage , 1980.
26.
Hofstede, G. Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. London: McGraw-Hill , 1991.
27.
Hofstede, G. Culture's consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations, 2nd edn. London: Sage , 2001.
28.
Hull, F. & Azumi, K. Technology and participation in Japanese factories: The consequences for morale and productivity . Work and Occupations, 1988, 15, 423-448 .
29.
Hull, F., Azumi, K. & Wharton, R. Suggestion rates and sociotechnical systems in Japanese versus American factories: Beyond quality circles . IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 1988, 35, 11-24 .
30.
Hyman, J. & Mason, B. Managing employee involvement and participation. London: Sage , 1995.
31.
Industrial Democracy in Europe International Research Team (IDE). Industrial democracy in Europe. New York: Oxford University Press , 1981.
32.
Industrial Democracy in Europe International Research Team (IDE). Industrial democracy in Europe revisited. New York: Oxford University Press , 1993.
33.
Jago, A.G., Maczynski, J. & Reber, G. Evolving leadership styles: A comparison of Polish managers before and after market economy reforms . Polish Psychological Bulletin, 1996, 27(2), 107-115 .
34.
Jago, A.G., Reber, G., Bohnisch, W., Maczynski, J., Zavrel, J. & Dudorkin, J. Culture's consequences: A seven-nation study of participation . In D.F. Rogers & A.S. Raturi (Eds), Proceedings of the 24th annual meeting of decision sciences institute. Washington, DC: Decision Sciences Institute, 1993, pp. 451-454 .
35.
Jang, S. & Chung, M.O. Discursive contradiction of tradition and modernity in Korean management practices: A case study of Samsung's new management. In S.A. Sackmann (Ed.), Cultural complexity in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage , 1997, pp. 51-71.
36.
Kabasakal, H. & Bodur, M. Leadership, values and institutions: The case of Turkey . Paper presented at Western Academy of Management Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, June 1998.
37.
Kanungo, R.N. & Jaeger, A.M. Introduction: The need for indigenous management in developing countries. In A.M. Jaeger & R.N. Kanungo (Eds), Management in developing countries. London: Routledge , 1990, pp. 1-23.
Kiezun, W. Management in socialist countries: USSR and Central Europe. Berlin: de Gruyter , 1991.
40.
Kim, U., Triandis, H.C., Kagitcibasi, C., Choi, S.C. & Yoon, G. Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage , 1994.
41.
Knudsen, H. Employee participation in Europe. London: Sage , 1995.
42.
Koivisto, J.V. Cultural heritages and cross-cultural management: Cross-cultural synergy and friction in Finno-Japanese management. Helsinki: Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration , 1998.
43.
Kostova, D. Workers' participation in Bulgaria: Past and current developments. In W.M. Lafferty & E. Rosenstein (Eds), The challenge of new technology and macro-political change. Melbourne: Oxford University Press , 1993, pp. 205-213.
44.
Kroeber, A.L. & Kluckhohn, C. Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum , 1952.
45.
Kustin, R.A. & Jones, R.A. An investigation of Japanese/American managers' leadership style in US corporations . Journal of International Management, 1996, 2, 111-126 .
46.
Lam, M.N. Forms of participation: A comparison of preferences between Chinese Americans and American Caucasians . Canadian Journal of Administrative Science, 1986, 3, 81-98 .
Lansbury, R.D. & Davis, E.M. Employee participation: Some Australian cases . International Labor Review, 1992, 131, 231-248 .
49.
Latham, G.P., Winters, D.C. & Locke, E.A. Cognitive and motivational effects of participation: A mediator study . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1994, 15, 49-64 .
50.
Lawler, E.E. III, Mohrman, S.A. & Ledford, G.E., Jr. Employee involvement and total quality management: Practices and results in Fortune 1000 companies. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass , 1992.
51.
Likert, R. The human organization. New York: McGraw-Hill , 1967.
52.
Locke, E.A. & Schweiger, D.M. Participation in decision-making: One more look. In B.M. Staw & L.L. Cummings (Eds), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 1). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press , 1979, pp. 265-339.
53.
Lytle, A.L., Brett, J.M., Barsness, Z.I., Tinsley, C.H. & Janssens, M. A paradigm for confirmatory cross-cultural research in organizational behaviour. In B.M. Staw & L.L. Cummings (Eds), Research in organizational behaviour (Vol. 17). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press , 1995, pp. 167-214.
54.
Maczynski, J., Jago, A.G., Reber, G. & Bohnisch, W. Culture and leadership styles: A comparison of Polish, Austrian, and US managers . Polish Psychological Bulletin, 1994, 25, 303-315 .
55.
Mendonca, M. & Kanungo, R.N. Motivation through participative management. In R.N. Kanungo & M. Mendonca (Eds), Work motivation: Models for developing countries. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage , 1994, pp. 184-212.
56.
Miles, R.E. Theories of management. New York: McGraw-Hill , 1975.
57.
Naumov, A.I. & Puffer, S.M. Measuring Russian culture using Hofstede's dimensions . Applied Psychology: An International Review, 2000, 49, 709-718 .
58.
Osterman, P. Work reorganization in an era of restructuring: Trends in diffusion and effects on employee welfare . Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2000, 53, 179-196 .
59.
Peterson, M.F., Maiya, K. & Herreid, C. Adapting Japanese PM leadership field research for use in Western organizations . Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1994, 43, 49-74 .
Sagie, A. Leader direction and employee participation in decision-making: Contradictory or compatible practices? Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1997, 46, 387-416 .
62.
Sagie, A. & Koslowsky, M. Participation and empowerment in organizations: Modeling, effectiveness, and applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage , 2000.
63.
Salem, M.A. & Banner, D.K. Self-managing work teams: An international perspective . Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 1992, 13(7), 3-8 .
64.
Smith, P.B., Dugan, S. & Trompenaars, F. National culture and the values of organizational employees: A dimensional analysis across 43 nations . Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1996, 27(2), 231-264 .
65.
Steyrer, J. The end of participation . Applied Psychology: An International Review, 1997, 46, 431-434 .
66.
Strauss, G. Worker participation in management: An international perspective. In L.L. Cummings & B.M. Staw (Eds), Leadership, participation, and group behavior. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press , 1990, pp. 213-305.
67.
Tannenbaum, A.S., Kovcic, B., Rosner, M., Vianello, M. & Wieser, G. Hierarchy in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass , 1974.
68.
Totoki, A. Management style for tomorrow needs . Journal of Business Logistics, 1990, 11(2), 1-4 .
69.
Triandis, H.C. Cross-cultural industrial and organizational psychology. In H.C. Triandis, M.D. Dunnette & L.M. Hough (Eds), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (2nd edn, Vol. 4). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press , 1994, pp. 103-174.
70.
Wagner, J.A., Leana, C.R., Locke, E.A. & Schweiger, D.M. Cognitive and motivational frameworks in U.S. research on participation: A meta-analysis of primary effects . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 1997, 18, 49-65 .
71.
Warhurst, C. Recognizing the possible: The organization and control of a Socialist labor process . Administrative Science Quarterly, 1998, 43, 470-497 .
72.
Warner, M. Management versus self-management in Yugoslavia . Journal of General Management, 1990, 16(2), 20-37 .
73.
Whyte, W.F. & Whyte, K.K. Making Mondragon: The growth and dynamics of the worker cooperative complex, 2nd edn. Ithaca, NY: ILR , 1992.
74.
Witte, J.F. Democracy, authority, and alienation in work: Workers' participation in an American corporation. Chicago: University of Chicago Press , 1980.
