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'Clusterbildungsprozessen in hochtechnologischen Feldern werden von der Politik, den Arbeitgeber- und den Arbeitnehmervertretungen verstärkt Aufmerksamkeit entgegengebracht. Für die Gewerkschaften sind diese Prozesse von besonderem Interesse, weil die Entwicklung hochtechnologischer Felder wie der Mikrosystemtechnologie mit der Schaffung einer Vielzahl neuer Arbeitsplätze verbunden wird. Zum großen Teil werden diese Entwicklungsprozesse auf privatwirtschaftlicher Seite von kleinen und mittelständischen Unternehmen getragen, in denen zumeist keine formellen Organe der Arbeitnehmervertretung vorhanden sind. Unter anderem aus diesem Grund verwundert es nicht, dass über die Partizipationschancen der Beschäftigten, die Wichtigkeit von Personalentwicklung und Erfahrungswissen, die Unterschiedlichkeit von Unternehmensstrategien sowie über die Relevanz eines regionalen Wissens- und Technologietransfers sowohl in der Wissenschaft als auch bei den Gewerkschaften kaum Erkenntnisse vorliegen. In der vorliegenden Studie wird auf der Grundlage einer Reihe von Expertengesprächen diesen Aspekten beispielhaft an der Entwicklung der Mikrosystemtechnologie (vor allem) im Raum Dortmund nachgegangen.' (Autorenreferat), '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 spend a 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 which role 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.' (author's abstract)

The question of workplace participation opportunities and limitations in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has gained momentum in sociological debates in Germany over the last years. Against the background of fundamental changes in the German industrial relations system, sociological research on this topic has shifted its focus from indirect to direct participation. On this basis, the paper aims to analyse and discuss the panoply of participation practices in an economic cluster in the region of Dortmund, a town in the German Ruhr Valley. The paper starts with an introduction of the empirical case, the development of the high-technology microsystems cluster in Dortmund, and gives an overview of the relevant private enterprises on the basis of three different company types. We go on to discuss the practice-orientated approach of participation which we combine with relevant sociological research results about direct and indirect participation as well as human resource management in SMEs and the New Economy. After a short overview of the methodological and empirical background of our research, we discuss the existing practices and cultures belonging to and surrounding direct and indirect participation with regard to the three types of businesses in the Dortmund cluster. The correlation between participation practices and business types is, however, not sufficient to fully describe the situation. The concept of participation cultures is therefore used as an additional concept. (author's abstract)

"Welche Mitbestimmungsmöglichkeiten und -formen gibt es in dem hochtechnologischen Feld der Mikrosystemtechnik? Dieser Frage wird anhand empirischer Untersuchungen im Raum Dortmund nachgegangen. Die hier lokalisierten Unternehmen und die von ihnen verfolgten Strategien lassen sich mit Hilfe einer Typologie voneinander unterscheiden. Auf der Basis dieser Typologie werden anschließend die Partizipationsmöglichkeiten der Beschäftigten erörtert. Abschließend erfolgt eine Einschätzung der vorhandenen Mitbestimmungsformen und -möglichkeiten, wobei auch auf den Aspekt einer regionalen Informationsaustauschs der Beschäftigten eingegangen wird." (Autorenreferat), "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." (author's abstract)

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.