INDUSTRIAL WORK AND POLITICAL-PARTICIPATION - BEYOND SIMPLE SPILLOVER

We suggest that the ''simple political spillover'' hypothesis that par ticipation in decision making at work increases the probability of par ticipating in politics outside the workplace-ought to be respecified i n such a way that it takes into account (1) the possible differential effects on political participation of direct and representational form s of decisional participation at work; (2) the possibility that the pa thway between workplace and political participation is mediated by the former's impact on psychological outlooks; and (3) the possibility th at participation in decision making in economically troubled enterpris es may diminish political participation. Using a sample of 1,247 worke rs from producer cooperative, employee stock ownership, conventional u nion, and conventional non-union wood products mills, we show that thi s more complex spillover model gives us a better understanding of the linkages between workplace and political experiences.