Differentiate between employee involvement and employee participation and how it builds relationships. (AC 1.2)

Employee engagement and participation are essential factors in Go Quest’s ability to foster strong relationships within the organisation, significantly influencing its operational dynamics.

Employee Involvement

Employee involvement signifies a greater level of engagement where employees actively participate in decision-making processes and are empowered to express their viewpoints. This approach, which emphasises the importance of inclusivity and collaboration, seeks to involve employees in all aspects of organisational decision-making (Kraft & Lammers, 2019).

Encouraging Employee Engagement

On the other hand, employee participation covers a wider range of engagement levels where employees actively contribute to decision-making processes. Although not as demanding as employee involvement, it encompasses a range of activities, such as offering insights on specific issues and actively engaging in decision-making processes (Kraft & Lammers, 2019).

Differences in Decision-Making

Employee Involvement: Encourages employees to actively participate in decision-making processes, valuing their input from identifying problems to implementing solutions, and acknowledging the importance of their perspectives.

Employee Participation: Involves a wide range of activities, from seeking input on particular matters to actively engaging in decision-making (Kraft & Lammers, 2019).

Differences in depth, form, scope, and approaches

Employee Involvement requires a deep and long-lasting dedication, often supported by formal and structured methods such as cross-functional teams or committees.

Employee Participation: Includes a range of engagement levels, with more relaxed and flexible methods like surveys and open forums.

Exploring the Connections between Unitarism and Pluralism

Employee Involvement: Supports the unitarist perspective, highlighting the importance of organisational unity and shared goals.

Employee Participation: Embraces a pluralistic perspective, recognising and appreciating the wide range of viewpoints and levels of involvement present in the organisation.

Job Design Theories and Motivational Links

Employee Involvement: Relates to socio-technical systems and theories that emphasise the importance of engaging tasks, autonomy, and skill development.

Employee Participation: Supports theories that highlight the importance of involving workers in decision-making processes to enhance motivation and job satisfaction. This can be achieved through practices like job rotation and enrichment.