Who Wants Participative Management?

Abstract

Participatory management systems have not been implemented at the pace forecasted by many managerial theorists. A survey of 485 upper-level managers from 59 industrial companies is utilized to examine this situation. The survey results show that the managers have a preference for participative systems, expect desirable outcomes to be achieved, generally perceive a need for organizational change, and express a willingness to support change toward a more partici pative system but generally do not install them. Contingency factors are examined to explain the variance associated with preferences for participative systems. The survey findings suggest that, although other reasons are often cited, the primary missing ingredient in the forecasted managerial evolution toward such systems is a lack of transformational leadership. Until this is developed, installation and success of such systems will remain limited.