What are the objectives of employee involvement?

Employee involvement refers to the opportunities for employees to take part in decisions that affect their work, either in their immediate job (task discretion) or in relation to wider company issues (organisational participation). When talking about employee participation, it is customary to distinguish between direct and indirect participation.

‘Indirect employee participation’ refers to the involvement of employee representatives (such as local trade unions or works councils) in decision-making processes, while ‘direct employee participation’ defines direct interaction between employers and employees, as examined in the Eurofound reports, Workplace social dialogue in Europe: An analysis of the European Company Survey 2009 and Third European Company Survey – Direct and indirect employee participation.

Employee involvement is concerned with the capacity of employees to influence decisions as individuals rather than through representatives. It is often used synonymously with the term ‘direct participation’ and is the common concept that underlies diverse notions of ‘new forms of work organization’ – whether ‘high involvement’, ‘high performance’ or ‘learning organizations’. It is also a basic ingredient of ‘workplace innovation’.

Little is known about the factors that encourage or discourage initiatives to involve employees more closely in decision-making. However, a series of potential influences or determinants on the prevalence of employee involvement systems can be identified as:

• The characteristics of the work task;
• The nature of employer flexibility policies;
• Organisational human resources capacity;
• The availability of consultative and representative institutions;
• The type of ownership;
• The nature of employment regulation.
• Strong evidence about the implications of employee involvement is still limited. Nevertheless, four issues seem likely to be affected:
• Learning opportunities at work;
• Employee motivation;
• Work and employment conditions;
• Employee well-being.

6 Forms of Worker Participation in Management

Some of the forms of worker participation in management of the company are:

1. Co-Ownership
2. Seat On Board Of Directors
3. Works Committee
4. Joint Management Councils
5. Profit Sharing
6. Suggestion Scheme.

The form or the way in which the workers can participate in the management varies a great deal. The form varies from country to country and even from undertaking to undertaking. Even in Communist countries, the methods of participation are not uniform.

Besides, the form also varies from organization to organization depending upon the level of power or authority enjoyed by the managers at different levels in different types of organizations.

Workers’ participation in management may take the form of ascending or descending participation. In ascending participation an opportunity is given to the workers to participate in the decision making process at a higher level.

Accordingly, the objectives of WPM in India are to:

1. Promote mutual understanding between management and workers, i.e., industrial harmony.
2. Establish and encourage good communication system at all levels.
3. Create and promote a sense of belongingness among workers.
4. Help handle resistance to change.
5. Induce a sense among workers to contribute their best for the cause of organization.
6. Create a sense of commitment to decisions to which they were a party.

Employee Code of Conduct

Your Employee Code of Conduct is one of the most important parts of your Employee Handbook. We created a code of conduct template to help you communicate your expectations to your employees in a clear and tactful manner.

General Business Conduct and Practices

• Accuracy, Retention, and Destruction of Business Records and Documents
• Financial Integrity, Fair Dealing, and Insider Trading
• Use and Protection of Company Assets
• Non-disclosure and Confidentiality
• Patents, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, and Copyrights
• Use of Electronic Media
• Shareholder, Public, and Media Relations
• Political Contributions and Activities

Employment Practices Conduct

• Mutual Respect and Privacy
• Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity
• Safety and Health
• Substance Abuse
• Harassment and Workplace Violence

Conflicts of Interest

• Employing or Dealing with Family Members
• Outside Business Interests and Ownership
• Outside Employment
• Giving, Accepting, and Soliciting Gifts and Entertainment

Compliance with Laws, Rules, and Regulations

• Antitrust
• Environmental Practices and Protection
• Advertising, Sales, and Marketing
• Obtaining Competitive Information

Relationships with Subcontractors, Suppliers, and Vendors

• Vendor Selection
• Vendor Confidentiality

Code of Conduct Administration

• Resources for Obtaining Guidance
• Reporting Questionable Behavior and Possible Violations
• Code of Conduct Waivers and Enforcement
• Incident Handling and Investigation
• Personal Responsibility Statement