On Industrial Democracy

Industrial democracy produced in modern history of industrialization and democratization . It is the reflection of the thoughts of democracy in economy. Its main claims is that democracy can be applied to industrial organization in enterprise management and decision making, in order to realize the democratization of the industry. The core of industrial democracy is the citizen participation in the workplace's management and decision-making. As an important field of citizens' daily life , the participation in workplace is also the main form of citizen participation in democratic politics . This paper analyzes from the participation function of industrial democracy .This paper discuss the legitimacy and practice of workplace participation from three aspects: the rational choice analysis in working-class's collective action, the enterprise nature ,the contemporary management theory about workers participation. Then, on this basis, political function of industrial democracy is discussed: this participation is advantageous to raising citizen political efficacy and promoting citizen politics participation and political socialization, industrial democracy cause the democratization of social structure which promote and guarantee the political democratization .it also becomes the implemented basis of grassroots self-governing and professional representation in democracy. So it has the important significance of reference and practice in Chinese economic reform and the development of political democratizationThis paper is mainly divided into four parts.Part I mainly discusses the socio-historical background of industrial democracy and its theoretical sources. The industrial revolution brought social industrialization and organized working class. In order to meet the social and economic rights, workers' movement requests to realize the democratization of economic organizations and industrial areas. The discussion on the realization forms of industrial democracy by Utopian Socialism, Syndicalism, Guild Socialism, Marxism, etc,contribute collective bargaining , cooperative, workers'self-government, factory committee and such several forms to industrial democracyPart II discusses the concept of modern industrial democracy, and analyze the relationship among industrial democracy ,economic democracy and employee participation. Employee participation is the major form of industrial democracy. At the degree of participation, by introducing the concept of "influence", Pateman divided participation into false participation, part participation and fully participation. According to the content and level of participation in difference, there are several ways of workers'participation such as workers directors, factory committee, workshop worker group, collective bargaining, staff financial participation and rationalization proposal.Part III is trying to provide theoretical support for workplace participation. 1.Industrial democracy movement inevitable requirement worker class to take collective action, then here is also facing the Olson's collective action dilemma. Occupation, communication and time ,this three dimensions change the game externalities , develop certain tradition in repeated game, and cause working-class to produce the "solidarity" class consciousness which is the necessary condition for overcoming "free-rider" to do collective participation. 2. In "capital employ labor" system ,the capital will reject the participation out the enterprise based on the ownership and control right. But, based on theories of human rights , social justice theory, and community theory, the enterprise itself has the public function, and is not the capital's "private sphere", so the capital can't reject employee participation with opposition to Interference in "private sphere"as a excuse. According to stakeholder theory, labor theory of property rights and human capital theory, Employee's labor as "human capital" same with monetary etc as "non-manpower capital", is also a part of the enterprise investment cost. It has more economic contribution, more risk, so should share ownership and control. 3 The hierarchical companies of Taylor type take management specialization in accordance with the division principle of technology . The view considering management as "authority" field will lead to the rejection of the employee participation in management. But management theory and practice tell us that: the employee participation in the management on the one hand overcome the depression of staff enthusiasm in Taylor type, on the other hand realize the combination of planning and implement to help overcome the hierarchical shortcomings of information flow impeded and high cost of management, thus achieved good performance . In production management, employees are technical authority, their management are only professional autonomy. In general management, there is"learning by doing". So employees qualified for management at least in low level.Part IV mainly discuss the political functions of industrial democracy. 1.Democratic political need the citizen participation related with political self-efficacy. Industrial democracy break "rule - obey" structures of authority ,and providing a wide range of participation opportunity for citizens thus help promote political self-efficacy .2. Industrial democracy's role is reflected in citizen cultivation and political socialization. It trains citizens"democratic personality " by replacing control with equal consultations. Employees'class consciousness formed in collective action educates citizens' political consciousness, and furthermore influence the party identity, policy identity and even national institution identity of individual citizen.3. Economic democratization is the guarantee of Political democracy . Industrial democracy safeguard citizen participation in economic management , meanwhile decentralize economic power of decision-making and control from micro enterprises level .4 .From the structure of political democracy, industrial democracy provide a wide range of approaches for people in grassroots self-governing , On the other hand become the basis and guarantee of the implementation of the professional representation , and then provide structural support for elections and organization of power authority...