Difference between employee involvement and employee participation
According to Garcia (2019), employee participation refers to procedures that enable employees to contribute to aspects of business activities. In contrast, employee involvement signifies a certain level of input into these business activities.
Pluralist theory in employee participation
This theory suggests that there is often more than one source of power in an organisation. It balances power between management and employees, recognising the presence of different interests between stakeholders. Pluralist theory portrays organisations as having groups with different interests.
Unitarian theory in employee involvement
This theory entails only one source of authority, which is usually management. (Garcia, 2019) clarifies that while employees and other stakeholders can provide input, the ultimate decision-making responsibility lies with management. This theory emphasises shared interest among all members of an organisation.
Employee Participation vs Employee Involvement
Employee participation allows employees to directly contribute to fulfilling organisation objectives by applying their ideas and efforts in problem-solving and decision-making. In contrast, employee involvement only allows employees to have opinions on decisions that affect their job roles. Activities under employee involvement can include team building, company meetings, and focus groups, while employee participation could entail actual decision-making processes. By implementing employee involvement, organisations can combat employee conflict by providing a platform where employees share their knowledge and accept each other’s perceptions, maintaining healthy employee relations.
