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German policy makers promote investments into high technology fields to increase employment and to further innovation. In North Rhine-Westphalia, regional and local governments are spending vast amounts of money to foster the set up of a microsystems technology cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. There have been important public activities to build an infrastructure in this field since the late 1980s and more than twenty small and medium sized enterprises have successfully established themselves in the Dortmund region in the last ten years. This gives rise to questions about the relevance of employee participation in a field where the age of companies is low, the proportion of academic employees is high, and where the influence of trade unions on company level tends to be zero. Based on empirical studies, it is argued that there indeed is no 'zone without participation'. Although only few workers' representations exit, we can observe the emergence of a wide range of direct participation forms and practices. The paper deals with common practices of participation in three types of microsystems firms in the Dortmund region with the aim to analyse the emerging participation culture and to discuss the possibilities and limits to direct participation.

German policy makers promote investments into high technology fields to increase employment and to further innovation. In North Rhine-Westphalia, regional and local governments are spending vast amounts of money to foster the set up of a microsystems technology cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. There have been important public activities to build an infrastructure in this field since the late 1980s and more than twenty small and medium sized enterprises have successfully established themselves in the Dortmund region in the last ten years. This gives rise to questions about the relevance of employee participation in a field where the age of companies is low, the proportion of academic employees is high, and where the influence of trade unions on company level tends to be zero. Based on empirical studies, it is argued that there indeed is no 'zone without participation'. Although only few workers' representations exit, we can observe the emergence of a wide range of direct participation forms and practices. The paper deals with common practices of participation in three types of microsystems firms in the Dortmund region with the aim to analyse the emerging participation culture and to discuss the possibilities and limits to direct participation.

German policy makers promote investments into high technology fields to increase employment and to further innovation. In North Rhine-Westphalia, regional and local governments are spending vast amounts of money to foster the set up of a microsystems technology cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. There have been important public activities to build an infrastructure in this field since the late 1980s and more than twenty small and medium sized enterprises have successfully established themselves in the Dortmund region in the last ten years. This gives rise to questions about the relevance of employee participation in a field where the age of companies is low, the proportion of academic employees is high, and where the influence of trade unions on company level tends to be zero. Based on empirical studies, it is argued that there indeed is no 'zone without participation'. Although only few workers' representations exit, we can observe the emergence of a wide range of direct participation forms and practices. The paper deals with common practices of participation in three types of microsystems firms in the Dortmund region with the aim to analyse the emerging participation culture and to discuss the possibilities and limits to direct participation.

European governments, associations of employers and trade unions have been paying attention to cluster building processes in high-technology fields for several years. In North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) regional and local governments spenda lot of money to foster the set up of a microsystem cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. Here, approximately twenty small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) employed about 1.600 people in 2003. Basic questions to be answered are whichrole management strategies play, how important the knowledge and participation of employees is in this process and how relevant regional interactions between the academic and the private sector are. On the basis of an empirical investigation it is possible to answer these questions. A common aspect of all companies in the Dortmund region is the pressure to reorganise, which is based on a mix of continuous factors such as expansion processes, market changes and changes of organisational structure. Apart from these common aspects, central aspects of work processes and firm strategies differ substantially between three types of companies, the 'newcomer', the 'invention centre' and the 'all-round company'. The description of the three types allows a deeper insight into business strategies and the situation of employees. Although there are differences between these types, it seems to be clear that the employees' knowledge and their possibilities of direct and indirect participation are important factors - despite of the lack of elected work councils or other types of formal representation in most cases.

European governments, associations of employers and trade unions have been paying attention to cluster building processes in high-technology fields for several years. In North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) regional and local governments spenda lot of money to foster the set up of a microsystem cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. Here, approximately twenty small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) employed about 1.600 people in 2003. Basic questions to be answered are whichrole management strategies play, how important the knowledge and participation of employees is in this process and how relevant regional interactions between the academic and the private sector are. On the basis of an empirical investigation it is possible to answer these questions. A common aspect of all companies in the Dortmund region is the pressure to reorganise, which is based on a mix of continuous factors such as expansion processes, market changes and changes of organisational structure. Apart from these common aspects, central aspects of work processes and firm strategies differ substantially between three types of companies, the 'newcomer', the 'invention centre' and the 'all-round company'. The description of the three types allows a deeper insight into business strategies and the situation of employees. Although there are differences between these types, it seems to be clear that the employees' knowledge and their possibilities of direct and indirect participation are important factors - despite of the lack of elected work councils or other types of formal representation in most cases.

European governments, associations of employers and trade unions have been paying attention to cluster building processes in high-technology fields for several years. In North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) regional and local governments spenda lot of money to foster the set up of a microsystem cluster in the old industrial region of Dortmund. Here, approximately twenty small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) employed about 1.600 people in 2003. Basic questions to be answered are whichrole management strategies play, how important the knowledge and participation of employees is in this process and how relevant regional interactions between the academic and the private sector are. On the basis of an empirical investigation it is possible to answer these questions. A common aspect of all companies in the Dortmund region is the pressure to reorganise, which is based on a mix of continuous factors such as expansion processes, market changes and changes of organisational structure. Apart from these common aspects, central aspects of work processes and firm strategies differ substantially between three types of companies, the 'newcomer', the 'invention centre' and the 'all-round company'. The description of the three types allows a deeper insight into business strategies and the situation of employees. Although there are differences between these types, it seems to be clear that the employees' knowledge and their possibilities of direct and indirect participation are important factors - despite of the lack of elected work councils or other types of formal representation in most cases.