ABSTRACT Following the 1990 reunification of Germany, many East German businesses were acquired by West German investors and experienced the implementation of Western style participatory management practices. Assuming this would improve organizational performance, many people were full of euphoric anticipation. The term "bluhende Landschaften," [transl.: blooming landscapes] was coined, referring to the belief that after a brief time of economic difficulties, Germany would enjoy prosperity. However, particularly East Germany has yet to show its blooming side. Most notably, low productivity levels among East German businesses pose a key obstacle to economic recovery in the East. Since adequate employee management can positively influence job satisfaction, which can increase organizational productivity levels, this study reviewed the effectiveness of authoritative and participatory management in regards to East and West German employees. Results show that both groups differ in their needs for participation and job security, two basic determinants of job satisfaction. While West German respondents' job participation was significantly correlated to job satisfaction; East Germans' job satisfaction was most significantly correlated with job security concerns. One may conclude that East Germans will find greatest satisfaction under job security oriented management. Since authoritative practices tend to increase organizational responsiveness more than participatory management, chances of organizational survival in times of crises are enhanced respectively. Therefore, authoritative management may prove more effective for East German employees given the current circumstances.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-1317 |
| Date | 01 January 2002 |
| Creators | Pohlers, Dirk |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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