Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

24
Use Participation to Share
Information and Distribute
Knowledge
JOHN A. WAGNER III
Participation is a process in which decision making, problem solving, action planning, or
similar activities are shared and performed jointly by hierarchical superiors and their subordinates.
To participate, superiors and subordinates work together to identify alternatives,
consider preferences, and fi nalize judgments. Defined in this manner, participation differs
from direction, in which superiors follow autocratic procedures and act alone (Wagner,
1982 ). Participation also differs from consultation, in which superiors ask subordinates for
their inputs and opinions but then weigh alternatives and make a final choice on their own
(Vroom and Yetton, 1973 ). Less obviously, perhaps, participation differs from del egation,
in which superiors remove themselves and cede complete authority to their subordinates.
Whereas participation requires that outcomes reflect needs and interests shared across
hierarchical levels, delegation is more likely to allow subordinates the autonomy to act in
accordance with personal desires (Leana, 1987 ).
Social theorists have long suggested that participation influences human behavior by
(1) involving participants directly in ongoing processes, thereby securing their commitment
to participatory outcomes through the “ sense of ownership ” stimulated by their personal
involvement, or by (2) providing participants the opportunity to exchange and collect information,
and to become more fully informed and knowledgeable about ongoing activities
and participatory results (e.g. Pateman, 1970 ). Organizational researchers have similarly
speculated that participation might influence behavior in organizations through two distinct
mechanisms, one termed motivational and the other cognitive (Bartlem and Locke, 1981 ;
Locke and Schweiger, 1979 ; Miller and Monge, 1986; Schweiger and Leana, 1986 ; Wagner,
Leana, Locke, and Schweiger, 1997 ). Research on the two mechanisms sheds light on each
mechanism ’s ability to predict and explain likely outcomes of participatory processes, and
thus holds important implications for the management of organizational behavior.