Workplace Democracy

Abstract

The idea of workplace democracy invokes Western democratic ideals, while simultaneously bringing into relief significant social and environmental challenges facing contemporary organizations under neoliberal capitalism, including growing inequality and resource limits threatening indefinite economic expansion. This entry contextualizes workplace democracy philosophically and historically within Western democratic market societies, in the transdisciplinary arena of organizational studies, and especially and within the subdiscipline of organizational communication. This entry explains key efforts to understand and deploy workplace democracy while identifying key models, issues, challenges, and practices across empirical‐analytical, interpretive, and critical scholarly traditions.

Seeking traces of democracy in the workplace: effects on knowledge sharing

“…The workplace organisational climate, both physically and mentally, has a direct impact on employee communication and participation. In a dynamic and secure environment, staff performance becomes more rational and can help manage and stabilise the knowledge that exists in an organisation (Holmer Nadesan and Cheney, 2017b).…”

“…Cheney was critical of the idea of consensus, particularly when parties of unequal power are involved. Communication is a cornerstone in the establishment of democracy in an organisation that has been linked through the processes of participation and “effective presentation” (Holmer Nadesan and Cheney, 2017). Deetz and Simpson (2004) argued that while aiming for OD, an essential structure is necessary.…”

“…From an organisational point of view, democracy has been described as a process of dividing power through the transition of decision-making from workplace owners and managers to employees (Mokhtarzadeh et al , 2020). From an organisational point of view, democracy has been described as dividing power through the decision-making transition from workplace owners and managers to employees (Holmer Nadesan and Cheney, 2017a). Also, it has been developed with other features such as participation, engagement, regular and coherent communication.…”