A Partnership for Strategic Planning and Management in a Public Organization

Abstract

The basis of cooperation between labor and management is a recognition of mutual interests. Partnerships take cooperation a step further by reassigning decision-making power. To examine what factors lend themselves to lasting labor-management partnerships, the authors conducted a case study of a partnership program in a public utility company. Labor and management undertook a joint effort to form a strategic plan. The foremost benefit was the creation of joint goals reached by consensus. Labor and management both had a stake in the plan and its success. Now, in each division of the company, an effort is being made to share decision-making authority. In a time when public sector agencies and companies are increasingly in competition with the private sector, workplaces were employees are active participants in guiding the organization will be essential to achieving and maintaining quality and a customer service-oriented outlook. The challenge is to identify a sustainable method oflabor-management cooperation. Joint strategic planning is a promising answer.