What are the advantages and disadvantages of involving workers in management decisions?

Question

any thoughts debate we are having at work as we speak lol

Answer 1

workers tend to decide based on what is convenient to them (not all workers) and for example, if you have 20 workers, and 12 agree with an idea while 8 disagrees, then you can never really make any decisions.

And since workers try to make decisions based on convenience rather than productivity and welfare of the company, its not the best.

Answer 2

Sounds like communism…  

Answer 3

I am with Barry, he is 100% right.

Answer 4

Management manage. The 'involvement' of workers in their decision making is virtually non existent. It is usually an excercise in stealing ideas, and conning the workforce into thinking they are appreciated.

Sorry to appear cynical, but I witnessed it for many years, usually under the heading of 'consultation'.

Answer 5

Involving workers in management decisions usually leads to increased productivity as they feel someone is taking an interest in them and what they do.

There are some interesting experiments in Latin America in a kind of workers' control of private enterprises with workers deciding such things as wage rates, work loads and the hiring and firing of workers

At Volvo they do not have production lines as such. Workers are deployed in teams and produce entire cars rather than use the traditional division of labour. Each team is responsible for decisions relating to production.

One criticism of worker participation in management is the amount of time that might be spent in meetings, but if anyone has participated management committees in conventional enterprises the amount of time wasted can be phenomenal.

Answer 6

Just remember that a camel was a horse decided by a committee of co-workers.  There's your answer!!!

Answer 7

If  workers  are  truly  listened  to  and  "consultation"  is  not  just  carried  out  for  appearances  sake  (as  pointed  out  below),  then  it  can  make  workers  feel  more  involved,  as  though  they  truly  have  a  stake  in  the  organisation  and  aren't  just  an  expendable  cog  in  the  wheel.  This  can  boost  staff  morale  and  productivity  and  make  for  an  all  round  happier  workplace.

If  "consultation"  is  just  done  as  a  PR  stunt  it  can  cause  resentment  towards  management  and  cynicism  at  the  next  lot  of  "bonding  sessions",  "brainstorming  groups"  and  all  the  other  management  invented  terms  for  consultation.  This  annoys,  bores  and  demeans  workers.

So,  if  you're  going  to  involve  workers  in  management  decisions,  do  it  for  real.  Listen  (as  workers  know  better  than  you  what's  going  on  "on  the  front  line"),  give  credit  where  credit  is  due  and  give  feedback  on  things  you  decide  on  the  back  of  involving  them.  If  you're  not  going  to  do  it  properly,  don't  bother  doing  it  all  as  it  will  backfire.

Answer 8

Everyone is involved and they will feel =