Introduction: global patterns of participation

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses upon formal processes of employee involvement or participation. It examines the extent to which enterprises seek more cooperative and collaborative styles of management and explores initiatives for increased levels of productivity and effectiveness through employee satisfaction and commitment. The research is based on a review of existing data sources and original case study evidence. The book presents a stakeholder model in which the workers also participate and exercise influence on strategic decision-making. It analyses the patterns of employee involvement in organisational change decisions using data from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey and a parallel survey conducted in the Illawarra Region of NSW in 1996, using chi-square and probit regression analysis. The book examines 'Top Executives' Attitude and Preferences Toward Employee Voice and Participation in Singapore'.