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Acta Sociologica
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Is Participation Good or Bad for Workers?

Effects of Autonomy, Consultation and Teamwork on Stress Among Workers in Norway

Arne L. Kalleberg

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA

Torstein Nesheim

Institute for Research in Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway, Torstein.nesheim{at}snf.no

Karen M. Olsen

Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway, Karen.olsen{at}nhh.no

Research on the consequences for employees of opportunities to participate in decision-making (defined here as having autonomy and being able to consult in organizational decisions and to work in teams) has produced inconsistent results. Some writers argue that worker participation is a good thing for workers, since they are able to make decisions and develop skills. Others, especially those in the critical management tradition, regard workers' opportunities to participate in decisions as another form of exploitation that results in increased work intensity, more ambiguity and greater stress. In this article, we examine the consequences of Norwegian workers' participation in decisions on job stress — both directly and through their effect on skill development, workload, support and ambiguity. We find that autonomy and consultation in decisions reduce job stress, while teamwork increases job stress.

Key Words: autonomy • participation • stress • teams • work intensity

Acta Sociologica, Vol. 52, No. 2, 99-116 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0001699309103999
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