Employee Involvement refers to structured processes that engage employees in organisational life primarily through consultation and feedback mechanisms, without transferring formal decision‑making authority to them. Common methods include staff surveys to elicit views on new policies, suggestion boxes positioned in communal areas, and open town‑hall meetings where leadership presents proposals and invites commentary (CIPD 2023). These channels serve multiple functions: they signal to employees that their perspectives matter, they surface practical insights from the frontline, and they create regular forums for two‑way communication. In a merged public‑sector entity, where staff from previously distinct cultures must learn to collaborate, employee involvement can be a powerful integrative tool. For example, carrying out a shared pulse survey between the two legacy organisations allows the leaders to identify shared issues (e.g., confusion over reporting lines) and address them in time, thereby nullifying rumours and tension. Similarly, rotation of “listening sessions” by new and legacy managers facilitates familiarity between teams and establishes relationships at the personal level.
Employee Participation, however, implies active and institutional employee involvement in decision-making platforms with strong power to impact outcomes. It is typically in the form of joint consultative committees, works councils, or co determination platforms where elected employee representatives appear together with management to discuss and decide upon policies such as flexible work arrangements, health and safety policies, or performance management systems (Rees 2024). The key feature of participation is mutual accountability: if employees know their votes or ideas will directly determine policy, they feel more ownership. After merger, the creation of an equal number staff management committee from both predecessor organisations ensures new processes have the needs and priorities of the entire workforce considered. This not only simplifies implementation but also facilitates collective identity based on respect for each other.
Both involvement and participation serve to decrease the “us versus them” phenomenon that typically arises during times of change. By integrating normal conversation and collective decision making into everyday work, organisations build psychological safety and reinforce social exchange norms: employees offer ideas and effort, and reciprocally are rewarded with identification and power. Over time, such practices establish trust, reinforce interdepartmental relationship, and assist in developing a harmonious culture, all of which are important ingredients of successful integration and long-term organisational coexistence.
