[en] The nucleus ¹⁰⁸Cd has been studied using a heavy-ion reaction and the NORDBALL multi-detector array. The yrast band has been extended to I^π 24⁺, and nine quasi-rotational side bands have been identified. The νh_11/2 negative-parity orbital is found to play a dominant role both in the low-spin as well as in the high-spin structure of ¹⁰⁸Cd. The first band crossing in the yrast band is caused by the h_11/2 neutrons. The 10⁺ state of the aligned ν(h_11/2)² configuration decays strongly into a low-lying low-spin intruder-like positive-parity band. It is suggested that this intruder structure is dominated by a non-aligned ν(h_11/2)² configuration. For the first time in this mass region, we report a collective, possibly prolate, M1 band built on the π(g_9/2)^-2 configuration. The experimental results are discussed in terms of total-routhian-surface and cranked-shell-model calculations. (orig.)