This thesis examines how different forms of participation impact the job satisfaction of blue-collar workers. By examining previous literature, satisfaction has shown to be beneficial for both the worker and the employer, but limited research has been done in the blue-collar sector of the workforce. Six types of participation were analyzed including: participation in work decisions, consultative participation, informal participation, short-term participation, representative participation, and employee ownership. In order to analyze these types of participation, four companies were used to interview twenty blue-collar employees. A qualitative approach was used to discover what employees thought about participation and satisfaction within their own companies, and participants were encouraged to tell stories of past experiences to exemplify their responses. Results suggested that informal participation, consultative participation and emotional attachment have the most impact on blue-collar employee satisfaction.