Workplace democracy is `an evolving reality' reflected in an organization's daily practices to deal with dilemmas. This article examines the inherent tensions and conflicts of practising workplace democracy in three women workers' cooperatives in Hong Kong. The co-ops were young and supported by non-governmental organizations. Based on interviews and participant observation, it was found that on balance, these co-ops were tilted towards democracy at the expense of efficiency. The analyses suggest that as these co-ops grow and develop, to sustain democracy in the long term, they may need to pay more attention to efficiency issues. Although the pull towards efficiency can lead to the emergence of a managerial elite group, thus contributing to a degeneration of democracy, paradoxically, to revive democracy, some form and function of leadership and management, collectively agreed, need to be established.
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