This research examines the concepts related to the empowerment of employees in organizations, the application of these concepts, and advantages and disadvantages associated with such application. This examination considers employee empowerment from the perspectives of employees, managers below the executive committee level, and executive committee level officers and corporate directors. The preliminary research performed for this study indicated that the factors, functions, and procedures that exert the greatest impact on the empowerment of employees in contemporary organizations are decision making, the use and delegation of power, and team based organization. The findings of this research are presented through the discussion of these three issues. The perspectives of employees, managers below the executive committee level, and executive committee level officers and corporate directors are considered in each of these discussions.Empowerment and Decision Making
To the great majority of employees in organizations, the concept of empowerment means transferring organizational decision making authority from managers to rank and file employees (Carr, 1994, pp. 39 44). To the great majority of executive committee level officers and directors of organizations, the concept of employee empowerment is viewed as a strategy to improve organizational productivity and profitability (Carr, 1994, pp. 39 44). To the great majority of middle managers in organizations, employee empowerment is simply one more sign of the deterioration of their own organizational status
(Carr, 1994, pp. 39 44). Each of these perceptions is partly correct. Unfortunately, each of these perceptions is also partly in error (Holpp, 1994, pp. 39 44).
Productivity is a major concern in the 1990s of all profit oriented organizations, regardless of size (Rothschild, 1993, pp. 17 18). Productivity levels within an organization are the product of a combination of...