Co-determination and transformation : co-optation or alternative vision

• Published in: Law, democracy & development Vol. 2; no. 1; pp. 27 - 42
• Main Author: Jarvis, David & Sitas, Ari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cape Town University of the Western Cape 01-05-1998; University of Western Cape, Faculty of Law
• Subjects: Codetermination; Democratisation; European codetermination models; Governance; Industrial relations; Labour (Economics); Politics; Social coordination; Workplace democracy
• ISSN: 2077-4907

In this article Jarvis and Sitas provide an overview of the development of theory around the issue of co-determination. Tracing the debates which have been generated in the process, they critically examine the various political schools of thought that have taken shape on the subject. Centralised economic planning on the erstwhile eastern European model. they argue, has proved to be non-viable as objective or end product of a process of increasing worker control; but neither can a complex modern economy be governed by "direct democracy" of the producers. Instead they offer a challenging perspective of the organisation of production based on optimal participation and autonomy of the workforce, while recognising "management" as a distinct and necessary function within the overall division of labour.