226
: EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION
The attitude of employees toward the plan, when not definitely
averse, as indicated by some organized opposition, may be judged to
some extent by quantitative evidence." Data relating to elections
and to the employee representatives is perhaps most significant.’
Election statistics should indicate the proportion of eligible voters to
exercise their franchise, classified by departments, occupations, and
in some situations by length of service and sex. In most companies
it has appeared that the interest in elections has increased from the
time the plan was inaugurated, so that after three or four years 90 per
cent or more of the employees vote. In considering elections atten-
tion should also be given to whether employees desire to run for office
and whether they do so upon a purely personal basis or upon plat-
forms committing them to any definite programs or policies.
Quite as important as the interest shown at elections by such figures
is evidence respecting the character of the representatives chosen.
These may be classified to show the average length of service, average
age, proportion married, proportion who are property owners, nation-
alities, and sex. To be of most value, such data respecting the repre-
sentatives should be compared with similar information regarding the
working force as a whole to indicate whether the persons elected are
increasingly or continually those possessed of qualifications which
place them somewhat above the rank and file as respects their probable
ability to serve effectively on committees. Should the average length
of service of all employees, for instance, be three or four years, while
the average for employee representatives is from five to ten, it may be
presumed that employees are choosing to represent them persons who
are somewhat more familiar with the plant and its management and in
a better position to deal with the officers of the company. A sudden
change brought about at any election with respect to this factor, result-
ing in a marked decrease in the average length of service of represen-
tatives, may indicate the presence of a factional situation as between
the “old guard” and the newer employees. While better representa-
tion is likely to be secured for employees if the average length of ser-
vice and average age are somewhat above those of the rank and file,
there should probably be fairly close correspondence between the two
groups as respects marital condition, sex, and nationalities. The
importance of information as to whether representatives own their
2See Appendix A, Table I, p. 267.
