Breakthrough in Participation: a case study of massive participation in a complex organization as a technique of planned change

Abstract

Complex organizations are undergoing stresses and strains which cause their members to resort to disruptive behaviour. Strikes, lockouts, difficulties between staff and students in colleges and universities provide ample evidence of this. One way of describing the demands of the dissidents is to say that they are demanding meaningful participation in the affairs of organizations of which they are members. In complex organizations the need for involvement of people in the process of change has long been recognized in theory. In practice, however, participation has largely been limited to a few at a time. One explanation for this is a simple lack of knowledge of how to involve large numbers of people. This paper describes methods used to do so in a Government organization. As will become apparent on reading the paper a significant feature of the method described is a series of study groups who present their ideas and elect two of their own members to carry these ideas forward to the next group where a similar process takes place. Thus a by‐product of the method is the identification of people who may be capable of leadership but who have no formal role of leadership in the organization. In the fore‐runner project to the one described here, one of the authors, Allison, emerged in the study groups and eventually led the elected implementation team. When implementation was complete he returned to his former job until the time came to start the project described in this paper. (Complex Organizations, Social Change, Applied Anthropology.)

Citation

Brooker, W.M.A. and Allison, D. (1974), "Breakthrough in Participation: a case study of massive participation in a complex organization as a technique of planned change", Personnel Review, Vol. 3 No. 4, pp. 16-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb055264