Conceptual Dimensions and Boundaries of Participation in Organizatins: A Critical Evaluation

This study outlines a broad conceptual framework for participation in organizations, which provides an overview of 4 defining dimensions of participatory social arrangements in organizations and their often complex interdependencies. Dimensions include: 1. social theories underlying participatory social systems and the values and goals each of them implies, 2. the major properties of participatory systems, 3. the outcomes of participation in organizations, and 4. the contextual characteristics of participatory systems which limit or enhance their potential. The view of participation presented is of a multidimensional, dynamic social phenomenon, transcending questions unique to any given discipline paradigm and which requires an integration of macro and micro questions. Also discussed are implications of conceptualization theory for theory building, research, and methodology.