Autonomy and Participation at Work

Abstract

The interrelationships of job content, job involvement, and worker participation are investigatedforprocess workers, massproduction workers, and batch workers, on the basis of a hypothesis that demandsfor workerparticipation are generally favored by autonomy and high skill characteristics in one's own job. As to demands for increased personal participation the hypothesis is supported in the process industry, but not in metalworking industry, where high skill demands are found in craft-based batch production. This difference is discussed in terms of integration and continuity in the production process. In both industries it is found that high involvement in repetitive and unskilled tasks is not accompanied by increased demands for participation. As to demands for worker participation through the system of representative democracy these are generally high and tend to increase with increasing autonomy in one's own job. Perceived success for the system of representative democracy leads to increasing demands for direct personalparticipation. Perceived worker influence is followed by increased job satisfaction.