Participative Management

The concept of “participation” in management is a complex one with different meanings for different individuals. When we discuss the notion of participation with practicing project managers in a consulting setting, the following response is typical: “Oh, I participated with my subordinates on that decision—I asked each of them what they thought before I made the decision.”

To the practicing manager, participation is often an informational construct, i.e., permitting sufficient subordinate input to be made before the hierarchical decision is handed down. On the other hand, when we discuss the concept of participation with academics, the following response is typical: “Managers should use participation management more often—they should allow their subordinates to make the final decision with them in a consensual manner.”