ABSTRACT
The case studies of workplace democracy reported in Chapters 7 and 8 offer the possibility of comparative exploration of the state of the art of workplace democracy in a number of African countries, but do not allow generalisation for sub-Saharan Africa. In view of the distribution of the studies over different parts of Africa (south, south-east and west), with different labour relations patterns (francophone and anglophone), and accumulating a wide variety of formal and informal workplace democracy, the comparative data may be inferred to constitute a sufficient basis for a generalised comparative appreciation of the structures and functioning of workplace democracy. And on the basis of this exploration, a discussion may be ventured on how workplace participation can be made more meaningful, effective and democratic. In Chapter 3, on the theory of participation it was argued that the dynamics of participation rest, among other factors, on the improvement of its form and functioning, following evaluation. What are the learning lessons?
