190.1
Participation, New Forms of Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility –, History, Discussions and Realities – Industrialised Countries, Central and Eastern Europe and Developing Countries
Discussions to “participation” started in Germany within labour movement & works councils in 19th/20th century. Main questions were how workers & representations can participate in the production process, in works force organisation, decision making etc. The promoters were socialist parties & left wing circles, trade unions & works councils.
In France in the 80-s the "participation" was that base-democratic right which should stamp the "socialism in the colours of France". Participation was declared as the democratic alternative concept to the French state centralism and to the Soviet model of the state socialism.
The debate in the 90-s went around Japanese participation offers in production processes. Predominantly was - ‘Japanisation’. The following "Flexurity debate", had the idea to exchange "flexibility of working regime" into the preservation of employment.
Discussions on corporate governance & corporate social responsibility started in the 70ties in US, later on in Germany & Europe. Promoters were stakeholders & shareholders. Bearers of debate were less in trade unions or „left political circles“. Targets were common responsibilities of stake- and shareholders for environment, life on the earth, quality of productions, employment law, work-conditions like child work, dangerous work, over-exploitation of the natural resources etc. in production & sourcing modification of high technology productions.
Trade unionists in supervisory boards and works committee member’s support this course; however, they were not any more the sole or key players of debate.
The discourse wins in social and changes away only from conditions of employment to the responsibilities and the consequences of the application of products. ISO 26000 is asked from the supervisory boards, the shareholders' meetings linked with the influence of works committees.
These ideas were more developed in industrialised countries of Europe and Northern America than in developing countries as well as Eastern European countries.