This thesis1 examines contemporary industrial relations reorganization in the Cuban socialist system to explore the effects on, and impact of, worker participation o industrial relations transition. In arguing that market liberalization has not substantially altered Cuban socialism, I focus attention on national institutions and the process for negotiating transition. I assert that our understanding of the impact of market liberalization on industrial relations system actors can be enhanced through a better understanding of how the state and workers arrive at an agreement with respect to the underlying justification for economic change- what I call the "cognitive basis" for market reform. Key to this negotiation process is how actors direct their emotions and attribute blame for adverse consequences of reform. 1  The  "thesis"  submitted  here  is  essentially  a  collection  of  literature  reviews   setting  up  the  argument  presented  in  the  introduction.    Data  collection  is   ongoing,  and  it  is  my  expectation  that  it  will  result  in  a  completed  dissertation   with  the  addition  of  several  chapters,  including  a  methodological  chapter  and  an   analysis  of  field  data.