Over the last decade an era of political reforms has been sweeping through Indonesian society. This has not just involved change at the level of how government is conducted but has seen a change in the whole social and political atmosphere. One of the most significant changes is related to democratization of organizational behavior. Many organizations are now trying to transform from the old custom of authoritarian organizational style to a way of working, which is more democratic and participative. They are allowing their employees to contribute opinions and some are beginning to involve employees more in the process of making organizational decisions. This article looks at two state-owned enterprises in Indonesia, to see what impact these trends actually have in the real life of both the organization and the employees. It reports the positive findings of a relationship between employee participation in decision-making and their motivation.