Democracy in the Workplace

Workplace democracy can be one way by which organizations can achieve the respect, protection, and promotion of human dignity for all stakeholders (Sauser 2009; De Jong and Van Witteloostuijn 2004). The aim of workplace democracy is to involve all organizational members in the process of deciding how work should be conducted, and more generally empowering employees to be committed to and engaged with all facets of the organization (Foley and Polanyi 2006). As discussed above, human dignity focuses on the equality of employees and managers, and equality is a key aspect of democracy. While democracy is commonly perceived to be the best political system available, there are still few organizations that are truly democratically organized. This may be a result of resistance on the part of current elites, who fear losing their power (Stohl and Cheney 2001). However, democracy offers the potential for higher involvement, autonomy, and equality. A healthy democracy, in addition, avoids favoritism, cronyism, and corruption. Overall, workplace democracy can thus create healthier relationships within an organization, as well as across its stakeholders.