Participative management: the effect of the exposure to and attitude of employees and managers towards participation in the management decision-making process–a case study of a public organisation in Israel

This article examines the assertion that in some situations employees do not support a participative management style applied by their managers. The effect of exposure to participation on employees’ attitudes was examined in an Israeli public health organisation, through participation in improvement teams. It was found that employee participation, even if successful, did not imply adoption of positive attitudes towards participation. It was further found that managers hold more positive attitudes towards participation than employees. Finally, ethnic origin was found to have a strong effect on attitudes towards participation.