Employee Employee EmpowermentEmpowerment

The term ‘empowerment’ is so widely used The term ‘empowerment’ is so widely used today in progressive management circles today in progressive management circles

suggests not just manipulative intent but an suggests not just manipulative intent but an awareness that even in periods of deep awareness that even in periods of deep recession the boundaries of workplace recession the boundaries of workplace control continue to be challenged by control continue to be challenged by

workers striving to attain a measure of workers striving to attain a measure of power, security and dignity.power, security and dignity.

--James W Rinehart-1996James W Rinehart-1996The Tyranny of Work:Alienation and the Labour ProcessThe Tyranny of Work:Alienation and the Labour Process

What is Employee EmpowermentWhat is Employee Empowerment

Empowerment is the process of Empowerment is the process of

identifying and removing the causes identifying and removing the causes

for low efficacy in employees. It helpsfor low efficacy in employees. It helps

employees to face work related employees to face work related

problems with confidence.problems with confidence.

Empowerment defined Empowerment defined

Empowerment can be defined as Empowerment can be defined as ‘harnessing ordinary people to do extra ‘harnessing ordinary people to do extra ordinary performance’ordinary performance’

Enhancing the self efficacy levels of Enhancing the self efficacy levels of employees makes it possible for employees makes it possible for employees to achieve more for employees to achieve more for

themselves and the themselves and the organisation.Empowerment is one way to organisation.Empowerment is one way to raise self efficacy levels of employees. raise self efficacy levels of employees.

The ways of empowermentThe ways of empowerment

1. The employee should be properly 1. The employee should be properly trained ,couched and guided to enable trained ,couched and guided to enable them to master the skills required for them to master the skills required for their job.their job.

2. Draw the attention of employees to 2. Draw the attention of employees to those who have attained remarkable those who have attained remarkable success in the job so that they can success in the job so that they can observe the working style of their more observe the working style of their more successful colleagues and emulate them. successful colleagues and emulate them. Thus they have good role models in their Thus they have good role models in their colleagues.colleagues.

3. Raise the confidence of employees 3. Raise the confidence of employees through persuasion and social through persuasion and social reinforcement techniques like reinforcement techniques like appreciation, encouragement and appreciation, encouragement and positive feed back.positive feed back.

4. Provide the employees with clear 4. Provide the employees with clear definition of their roles, and extend definition of their roles, and extend assistance when required so that their assistance when required so that their stress and anxiety can be reduced. stress and anxiety can be reduced.

Empowerment encourages employees to Empowerment encourages employees to share responsibility and use their share responsibility and use their initiative to take decision and solve initiative to take decision and solve problem.problem.

Adequate authority and resources are Adequate authority and resources are given to employees for taking initiatives given to employees for taking initiatives and decisions. and decisions.

Allocation of authority here is “trust based Allocation of authority here is “trust based relationship”relationship”

It is trust-based relationshipIt is trust-based relationship

betweenbetween

managers and supervisorsmanagers and supervisors

betweenbetween

supervisors and workerssupervisors and workers

betweenbetween

management and employees.management and employees.

It is a continuous processIt is a continuous process

In trust –based relationshipIn trust –based relationship

there isthere is

no close supervision no close supervision

no constant directionno constant direction

no interference no interference

Here the empowered employee becomeHere the empowered employee become self directdself directd self controlledself controlled ‘ ‘ A managers most important and serious A managers most important and serious

problem are people problem.People problem are people problem.People production and money are the key production and money are the key elements in business ,but people are ,far elements in business ,but people are ,far and away, the most important.’and away, the most important.’

The ‘line stop system’ adopted by The ‘line stop system’ adopted by Japanese management shows the effect Japanese management shows the effect of an empowered employeeof an empowered employee

An empowered situation ;An empowered situation ;

1—Encourages participation1—Encourages participation

2---Improve communication2---Improve communication

3---Promote creativity and innovation3---Promote creativity and innovation

4---Create positive attitude and a 4---Create positive attitude and a

sense of belongingssense of belongings

Tom Peters considers empowerment a Tom Peters considers empowerment a “necessary condition to improve zest,“necessary condition to improve zest,

creativity and automatic symbiosis withcreativity and automatic symbiosis with

the customers”the customers”

Factors Influencing Empowerment.Factors Influencing Empowerment.

All factors which contribute enhancement All factors which contribute enhancement of intrinsic motivation creativity and of intrinsic motivation creativity and

innovationinnovation

1.1. Factors increasing intrinsic motivationFactors increasing intrinsic motivation

2.2. Structural factorsStructural factors

3.3. Cultural factorsCultural factors

4.4. Human factors.Human factors.

Empowering dimensionsEmpowering dimensions

1. 1. Impact:Impact: when an employee feels that when an employee feels that

completion of task ‘will make a completion of task ‘will make a difference’, such task has an impact on difference’, such task has an impact on him.him.

2. 2. Competence:Competence: when a person has confidence that he when a person has confidence that he

has the ability ,knowledge and skill ,to has the ability ,knowledge and skill ,to perform the task,assigned to him, then perform the task,assigned to him, then such tasks positively affect competence.such tasks positively affect competence.

3. 3. MeaningfulnessMeaningfulness:: When employee feels that the task When employee feels that the task assigned to him is worthwhile and he assigned to him is worthwhile and he cares to do so , such task is cares to do so , such task is meaningful.meaningful. 4. 4. Choice:Choice: A task which provides him freedom A task which provides him freedom of decision-making initiative and of decision-making initiative and action,we find the factor “ choice” in it.action,we find the factor “ choice” in it.

Barriers of EmpowermentBarriers of Empowerment

1. Incongruent Organization culture1. Incongruent Organization culture

In family run business the whims and In family run business the whims and fancies of owner/MD will be the final wordfancies of owner/MD will be the final word

2. Incompatible National culture.2. Incompatible National culture.

A society dominated by A society dominated by fascism,communism,dictatorship,ethinic fascism,communism,dictatorship,ethinic or religious fundamentalism where there or religious fundamentalism where there is no freedom of speech.is no freedom of speech.

3. Fear of retribution by subordinates.3. Fear of retribution by subordinates.

If employee is under the penumbra of If employee is under the penumbra of fear that they would be punished for fear that they would be punished for taking initiative, there is no taking initiative, there is no empowerment.empowerment.

4. Fear of Retribution by superiors4. Fear of Retribution by superiors

seniors avoid delegation if they are seniors avoid delegation if they are punished for failure.punished for failure.

5. Dependency of subordinates.5. Dependency of subordinates. Acting continuously under autocratic Acting continuously under autocratic

leadership weaken the capability to take leadership weaken the capability to take and act independently. They require out and act independently. They require out side direction. This can be overcome by side direction. This can be overcome by better training and leadership. better training and leadership.

6. Power hungry superiors:6. Power hungry superiors: Power hungry superiors will never part Power hungry superiors will never part

with authority.with authority.

Employee empowerment is aEmployee empowerment is a

crucial ingredient in a total quality crucial ingredient in a total quality

management strategy.management strategy.

1. 1. Quality Starts with peopleQuality Starts with people

Empowerment is based on the belief that Empowerment is based on the belief that employee needs organization and employee needs organization and organization needs employees and organization needs employees and leaders should understand that leaders should understand that employees are the most valuable asset employees are the most valuable asset of an organizationof an organization

2. 2. Participative Management-more than a Participative Management-more than a management buzzwordmanagement buzzword

There is positive relationship between There is positive relationship between participation and satisfaction –motivation participation and satisfaction –motivation and performance. The self managed team is and performance. The self managed team is a new way of viewing the relationship of the a new way of viewing the relationship of the worker-management organisation—worker-management organisation—Employee involvement teams which Employee involvement teams which consists of small groups of employees who consists of small groups of employees who work on solving specific problems related to work on solving specific problems related to quality and productivity is one way of quality and productivity is one way of participative management.participative management.

3. 3. “We are all in it together”“We are all in it together”

Workers be involved in all changes or Workers be involved in all changes or else they would fight it. The primary role of else they would fight it. The primary role of magt is “to support and stimulate their magt is “to support and stimulate their people, cooperate to overcome cross-people, cooperate to overcome cross-functional barriers, and work to eliminate functional barriers, and work to eliminate fear with in their own team. Both Magt and fear with in their own team. Both Magt and supervisors be trained. supervisors be trained.

4. 4. Empower from the ‘ bottom Up’ Empower from the ‘ bottom Up’

In an empowered organization In an empowered organization employees feel responsible beyond their employees feel responsible beyond their own job, since they feel the responsibility to own job, since they feel the responsibility to make the whole organization work make the whole organization work together.Effective delegation to lower level together.Effective delegation to lower level makes it workable.makes it workable.

5. 5. Employees- the most important asset in the Employees- the most important asset in the organisationorganisation..

Empowered personnel have “ responsibility a Empowered personnel have “ responsibility a sense of ownership satisfaction in sense of ownership satisfaction in accomplishments,power over what how things are accomplishments,power over what how things are done ,recognition for their ideas , and the done ,recognition for their ideas , and the knowledge that they are important to the knowledge that they are important to the organisation. The empower process is only organisation. The empower process is only successful when there is room for feedback and successful when there is room for feedback and autonomy in the organisational culture.The golden autonomy in the organisational culture.The golden rule is that “leaders have to treat their employees rule is that “leaders have to treat their employees the way they want the bosses to treat them”the way they want the bosses to treat them”

6.Treat your employees the way you want 6.Treat your employees the way you want your customers to be treated.your customers to be treated.

There is correlation between satisfying There is correlation between satisfying internal customers and meeting external internal customers and meeting external customers needs.' Employees who are customers needs.' Employees who are not treated correctly cannot be expected not treated correctly cannot be expected to treat external customers differently.to treat external customers differently.

To sum upTo sum up

Employees Empowerment is a new way Employees Empowerment is a new way of Managing Organisations towarda a of Managing Organisations towarda a more complex and competitive future. more complex and competitive future. Participative Management has proven Participative Management has proven very successful in fostering responsibility very successful in fostering responsibility motivation and belongingness in motivation and belongingness in organization with high autonomy and organization with high autonomy and flexibility.flexibility.