Worker Democracy and Worker Productivity

A major source of oppression in industrial and post-industrial society is the restrictive and highly authoritarian nature of the workplace. One response is to democratize the workplace by increasing the participation of workers in making decisions and in choosing and evaluating managers as well as sharing in the ownership of the firm. These are not new ideas, and there are many examples of organizations pursuing various forms of democratic practices. However, a major objection is that such participation would compromise economic and other types of organizational productivity. This article examines the empirical support for that argument over a wide range of types of organizations in which workers participate in important decisions affecting their welfare. The overall results of this survey across many different forms of work organization suggest that the evidence supports the opposite conclusion, that worker participation increases productivity, particularly when workers share the benefits of higher productivity. The challenge is to ascertain ways of spreading these practices more widely.     

Local Authorities and Non–elected Agencies: Strategic Responses and Organizational Networks

This article deals with developing relationships between local authorities and local non–elected public service agencies in England and Wales. It classifies local authority responses to the growth of the non–elected state. Account is taken of varying agency characteristics and the constraints and dilemmas they face. From the local authority vantage point what is at stake is organizational (re)positioning in a changing institutional environment. Insights derived from strategic management are therefore utilized. But resource dependencies and exchanges also manifest themselves in these emerging relationships. Moreover, account must be taken of the scope for local authorities to be 'network managers' given the structural reconfiguration of the local state. The analysis therefore takes on board organizational networking theoretical frameworks. Although central government remains best placed to manipulate the 'rules of the [new and uncertain] game', interesting possibilities present themselves if local authorities can show more strategic skill than in the recent past.     

Norway: The 1981 election confirms trend to the right

The Storting election of 13 and 14 September 1981 resulted in a marked swing to the right, a trend which has been evident since the middle of the 1970s (Valen, 1976; Valen, 1978; Kristiansen & Holbæk Hansen, 1980). The socialist parties lost their majority in the Storting, and the Labour minority government which had been in power since 1973, resigned. After an unsuccessful attempt to form a coalition government between the three leading bourgeois parties, the Conservative party, the Agrarian Centre party and the Christian People's party, the Conservatives formed a minority government with parliamentary support from the two other parties.     

LSD Use as a barrier to public safety employment: A review of the medical findings

Conclusions In a review of available literature on the topic of adverse effects of the use of hallucinogenics, the authors found some remarkable evidence. First, there is not evidence that these drugs are physically or emotionally addictive. In fact, users generally discontinue use because of the impact of altering states of consciousness. Few have the desire to experience these effects beyond satisfying their curiosity about the drugs. There seem to be some specific personality factors that predispose individuals to experiment with psychedelic drugs, and certainly, specific personality types are prone to be associated with negative side effects in both the short and long-term. In light of the considerable amount of research which supports the premise that LSD is not as dangerous as once assumed, perhaps restrictive hiring policies should be reviewed and reevaluated in the case of the one-time user. If an individual passes all testing, and personal history shows stability, disqualifying a candidate for prior LSD use does not appear to be supportable by research finding. Again, this report is not meant to diminish the negative effect of hallucinogens on a small portion of our society. The intent is to point out that the medical literature does not support the contention that one-time hallucinogen use carries with it any undesirable long-term consequences. The importance of considering an individual within the context of testing and background can not be minimized.