For some time, the corporate world has been moving toward more democrat­ic processes in the workplace as compa­nies strive to improve their competitive­ness tapping the knowledge, talents, and creativity of their employees. Driven by global competition, technology, information, and compressed production timelines, private enterprise is placing unprecedented stock in human capital. In many respects, the means of production have shifted into the hands of workers, particularly knowledge-workers.¹ In the process, organizational hierarchies have tended to flatten, as autonomous work teams replace managerial levels. Scientific management theories have gradually given way to more participative ap­proaches that stress employee empower­ment and job involvement.