Participatory Approach In Motivation

Kedar Prasad Bhandari

In human resource management, the participatory approach has been considered an important tool in motivating employees. The participatory approach, also known as participative management, is a process in which the subordinates involve in the decision-making function with their immediate superior. Complex jobsIn the recent decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the management of human resource. In Nepal, participatory approach can be said to have begun with the financial sector reforms in the mid-1980s. Propelled by liberalisation and globalisation, the participatory approach received more prominence in an institutional manner after 1990.

The Local Self-Governance Act can also be taken as an initiative for promoting participatory management at the government level. Today, jobs have become extremely complex. So it is difficult for managers to know everything what their employees do. In fact, participative management empowers the subordinates who know the actual problem and can contribute to make better decisions. Decision-making is not an easy job for managers. They have to win the confidence of all the employees working in their organisations. It is necessary to consult the employees of different inter-dependent departments to bring uniformity in their performance.

This helps develop the concept of team, committee and group meetings to resolve complex problems. Employees do not undermine a decision during implementation as they have been involved in making that decision. Participation provides intrinsic rewards for the employees, and it makes their jobs more interesting and meaningful. Broadly, there are two means of motivating employees through their participation: Quality of Work Life and Self-managed Work Team. Quality of work life is defined as an attempt to develop a formal programme to integrate the employees' needs and well-being with the intention of improving productivity, greater worker empowerment and higher level of job satisfaction. It supports a highly democratic treatment of employees at all levels and encourages them in the decision-making process. Its emphasis is on maintaining a quality working environment for the employees. A quality working environment includes financial incentives, opportunity to develop personal skills and ability, safety working conditions, and the opportunity to participate in problem solving and decision-making.

In essence, there are three means through which Quality of Work Life (QWL) can be improved. The Quality Circle (QC) is a concept first started in Japan in the early 1960s to improve the quality of products. Quality circles consist of work teams composed of 8-10 employees from the same work area who meet regularly to define, analyse and solve quality and work-related problems in their specific area of operation. The membership is strictly voluntary, and meetings are usually held once a week, normally for an hour before or after the job is over.

An organisation may have several Quality Circles operating at a time to deal with different people in different areas. The members are given some form of training in problem solving to work effectively. The Quality Circle is designed to improve the working conditions and enable self-development of the employees. The focus of the Quality Circle is to encourage the employees to accept responsibility for improving quality. The Quality Circle is effective in bringing about a short-term improvement in the quality of work life, but it is less effective in creating more permanent changes. Sharing of ownership by the employees is another emerging concept in participatory management. It is a plan in which the employees are offered ownership of the organisation as a benefit package. This may be done by stimulating them to buy equity shares.

It has become an important tool in motivating the employees.It is believed that if the employees own the shares of an organisation, they would be motivated to work effectively to increase the value of their shares. Similarly, as both owner and employees can participate in meetings, they can put forward their views, ideas, and opinions while making decisions. Business organisations in Nepal are also adopting the concept of employee ownership. Most of the joint stock companies offer 5 per cent of their public issued shares to the employees. Moreover, the concept of a flexible work schedule has developed in the recent years. In this plan, employees are allowed to choose their own arrival and departure times within specified limits fixed by the organisation.

Basically, the work time is divided into two groups: 'core time' and 'flexitime'. During the core time, all the employees must be present in the office, but in flexitime, the employees are free to select their own starting and departure time based on their convenience. Flexitime is popular in the USA. In flexitime, employees may involve in personal works like payment of utility bills, visiting children's schools and banks. This system is helpful in reducing absenteeism, overtime payment, employees' turnover and provides convenience to the employees. Another concept that has emerged in the recent years is Self-managed Work Team. It is also known as self-directed autonomous work groups consisting of 5-15 members. It is a formal group of employees that operates without a manager and is responsible for a complete work process.

All the members of the team are skilled in their own area of profession. The team members are jointly responsible for performing the task. They are responsible for planning and scheduling works, assigning tasks to members, collective control over the pace of work, making operating decisions and taking action on problems.Team members perform their work independently through mutual participation so it provides a higher level of job satisfaction. In such team work, the role of the supervisor decreases and may even be eliminated. It allows sufficient time to the manager to involve in creative managerial functions. Today the Self-managed Work Team concept is popular in most of the business organisations.Participatory approach in new context In fact, participatory approach is based on democratic norms. Given the changed context, Nepalese entrepreneurs and managers should try to include all the employees working in an organisation. The participatory approach should be given focus in the changed context in order to democratise the entire organisational system and accelerate productivity for faster economic development through wider participation.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 23, 2007

PM Koirala tells Maoist top brass to halt YCL activities

KATHMANDU, May 22 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Tuesday reiterated that the already overdue eight-party meeting could not take place until the Maoist wing Young Communist League (YCL) changes its ways. In a meeting with Maoist leadership this morning, the PM said that the YCL's activities were becoming increasingly unruly and maintained that the top level meet could not begin until the league mends its ways. Talking to media persons after the two-hour long meeting with the PM government spokesperson and Maoist Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the PM had urged the Maoists to halt the YCL activities and see through the implementation of the peace accord honestly.

The Maoist side including chairman Prachanda had sought the PM's attention towards the growing confusion in the nation because of the uncertainty surrounding the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls and urged the latter to call an eight party meet immediately. The Maoists also asked the government to immediately release funds as per yesterday's government ratification of Maoist benefits and construction of houses for the combatants. Mahara informed that the meeting had also discussed the second phase of the UN-monitored PLA verification. Besides Prachanda, another top Maoist leader Babu Ram Bhattarai was also present during the meeting.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 22, 2007

Maoists to continue their struggle for republic: Bhattarai

Kathmandu, May 20: Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, the second in command in the Maoist party, on Sunday reiterated the party's demand for declaring Nepal a republic. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) will continue its struggle through the streets, the parliament and the government until the country is declared a republic, Bhattarai said while addressing a programme organised by the former inmates of the Nepal Army.The Maoists would not pull an inch back from their demand for a republic, Bhattarai was quoted by Nepalnews as saying.

The ruling coalition of eight-political parties had earlier decided that the Constituent Assembly in its first sitting would decide the fate of the monarchy.Since the Election Commission has expressed its inability to hold Constituent Assembly polls on the scheduled date of June 20, the parties have been undecided on new date for holding the elections.Bhattarai's statement came amid reports that the Maoists were planning a nationwide agitation in protest against the government's failure to implement the agreement reached on the upkeep of People's Liberation Army (PLA) and management of cantonments.

Maoists can resolve Terai problem in two weeks: Prachanda

Kathmandu, May 20: Nepal Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that his party can resolve the problems in the Terai region bordering India within 15 days, blaming the pro-palace and Hindu extremists for the disruptive activities aimed at derailling the Constituent Assembly polls. "If the government gives us the responsibility based on an understanding, that is not a difficult task," Prachanda said, adding that he had already requested the Prime Minister for such a responsibility. Prachanda said that pro-palace and feudal elements and Hindu extremists were engaged in violent and disruptive activities in Terai to derail Constituent Assembly polls.

The Maoist leader also emphasised the need to deal properly with India in order to resolve Terai problem. "The traditional spineless leadership cannot properly secure the nation and people. Without appropriately dealing with New Delhi, Terai problem cannot be resolved. In changed circumstance, one should also be able to present oneself in tough manner," Prachanda said. The top Maoist leader said he will employ both negotiation and retaliation to tackle the unrest in Terai. "We know Goit, Jwala Singh very well. They were with us for four-five years. We know how to tackle them, which the Congress doesn`t know. By understanding their psychology we can do both negotiate or retaliate," said Prachanda while interacting with mediapersons yesterday.

The leaders of two factions of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), Jai Krishna Goit and Jwala Singh were previously associated with the Maoists. Likewise, president of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Yadav, too, was a Maoist leader in the past. The JMM and MJF along with other groups in the Terai plains are agitating for greater political and economic rights for the region.

Source: Nepalnews, May 21, 2007

Nepal poll delay may cause trouble

Indrani Bagchi

NEW DELHI: The delay in announcement of dates for constituent Assembly elections in Nepal may make it easier for the Maoists to go back to their wild ways. The Koirala government is hedging on declaring the elections, which is key to establishment of a more democratic Nepal. This has given Maoists the opening to turn the tables on the government. In this, the Maoists have help from the Left, but the seven-party alliance is still looking for ways to give the monarchy a toehold in any future arrangement. According to sources, this is rooted in the fact that many in the interim Nepalese government fear elections. While India is trying to push the government towards a decision, it's still willing to let the government look for ways to give the discredited monarchy some space.

It's not going down well with the Maoists, whose agitation on conditions of the militias' camps are a sign of deeper dissatisfaction. Meanwhile, the younger Maoists, many members of the Youth Communist League, have returned to looting and extortion in the provinces. In fact, as things are turning out, the onus of keeping the Maoists on the straight and narrow path belongs to the seven-party alliance (excluding the Maoists). The Maoists will be good only as long as the others are playing by the rules. This, said sources here observing developments in Nepal, is both good and bad. Good, because it keeps the democratic government on its toes and prevents it from doing the typical South Asian thing of promising governance and rarely delivering. But, bad, because it could, given the Maoists' past record, give them an inordinate handle on the government.

It's a concern shared by international conflict-resolution groups like the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG). In its report, ICG says that while Nepal's Maoists have accepted multi-party democracy and have lost their appetite for all-out war, they could still resort to physical confrontation if the peace process stagnates. A year after King Gyanendra was forced out, Maoists were in the government. The compromise from their military stance has brought them benefits and power of being in legitimate control. These advantages need to percolate down to cadres in the provinces, many of whom have given up their arms. This is where, say sources in India, the Maoist leaders bear the responsibility of managing expectations and explaining the democratic process to cadres more comfortable with the gun. "Making the political process work is up to other actors as much as the Maoists," says Rhoderick Chalmers of ICG. "If the mainstream parties are committed to the peace agreement and keep their side of the bargain, Maoist leaders will find it much easier to persuade their followers that compromise is the best way forward."

Source: The Times of India, May 21, 2007

Maoist-Nepal opposition to hold fresh talks in Delhi

Nepal's Maoist guerrillas and opposition parties are in the process of holding fresh talks in New Delhi, the kingdom's private media reported on Tuesday. A senior Maoist leader, Agni Sapkota, has confirmed that leaders of seven opposition parties and the outlawed Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) would hold fresh parleys in New Delhi to review the loose alliance between them, the Himalayan Times daily reported. Some senior leaders of two major opposition parties, the Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, are already in the Indian capital, the Kathmandu Post daily said.

If true, this would be the sequel to a reported secret meeting held between the two top leaders of the Maoists and leaders of the opposition front of seven parties in New Delhi late last year.
The secret meeting ended with both sides agreeing to a 12-point agreement that includes the Maoists pledging not to attack political workers and unarmed people and allowing people displaced by the 10-year insurgency to return home. The secret understanding, when it was made public, drew mixed reactions.

It was flayed by Nepal's government headed by King Gyanendra, which came down heavily on the opposition parties as well as the Indian government, saying they were abetting terrorist activities. While most of the international community as well as the United Nations welcomed the pact as a step towards bringing the rebels to the political mainstream, it was however also criticised by the US ambassador to Nepal, who calls it a ploy by the Maoists to exploit the parliamentary parties and capture power.

A fresh round of talks between the Maoists and opposition leaders on Indian soil would newly vex Nepal that accuses New Delhi of harbouring double standards on terrorism. Last year, the understanding between the rebels and the parties resulted in the former extending a unilateral truce called by them. With the outlaws having called a weeklong blockade of Kathmandu valley from March 14, to be followed by an indefinite nationwide shutdown from April 3, the parties have been urging a re-think.

Source: The Hindustan Times, March 7, 2007