Workers' participation in management: the case of Algeria's industry

The content of the thesis is divided into ten chapters and a conclu­sion. Chapter one discusses the origins of the idea of workers' participation since the Industrial Revolution as expressed in the struggle between capital and Labour. In addition to the definition of participation and some other related concepts the system of workers' self-management in Yugo­slavia is briefly outlined. Chapter two provides a brief historical account of French colonial policies in Algeria from the conquest in 1830 until independence in 1962. Chapter three contains an attempt to find out the origins of the idea of self-management in Algeria and the circumstances which Led to its spon­taneous emergence in 1962, whi Le in chapter four I tried to describe, though briefly, the organisational structures of self-management after its institutionalisation in March 1963 and the causes of its failure though it was presented as the cornerstone of Algeria's socialism. Algeria's specific socialism is discussed in chapter five with particu­lar emphasis on the crucial period prior to 1965. Chapter six provides an analytical account on the development of the Algerian economy with special emphasis on the period before the introduc­tion of the system of socialist management. Chapter seven discusses the theoretical foundation of the system of socialist management especially the controversies over the meaning of con­cepts and the extent of workers' involvement in management. Chapters eight and nine describe the organisational structures of the system of socialist management, the functioning of its organs and the role of the government in the implementation of the system. Chapter ten analyses the practice of workers' participation in manage­ment on the basis of the field work research in two Algerian plants in addition to the available information in relation to the functioning of the system of socialist management