When common sense becomes uncommon: participation and empowerment in Russian companies with Western participation

This article starts by mapping the growing (Western based) literature that deals with participation and empowerment by outlining two clusters of writings-those that glorify these phenomena and those that problematize them. The article then examines why participation and empowerment, as introduced in the Western literature, do not work in Russian organizations. Explanations are found in one-man authority, anti-individualism and dependence, tightly coupled hierarchies, lack of knowledge sharing, and double-bind situations. The arguments are illustrated by examples from two case studies of Russian companies with Western participation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.