From Employee Participation to Self-Management - What is Gained, What is Lost?

From Employee Participation to Self-Management

The understanding of the employee's role in the workplace has changed considerably in the course of the last 20 years. Previously employee-participation was considered a "demand" from the employee. Now employees are considered a management ressource. Simultaneously, contemporary technology and competitive worklife is characterised by flexible and decentralised organisational forms that create new challenges for the employee. Characteristically, these challenges involves the demand that employees are made responsible for their own work solution. Thus the borders of management become displaced.