The Importance of Employee Empowement

Today’s employees have a longing to have a voice in the decisions that they make day in a day out. Management’s move from primary decision maker to that of a facilitator is a process that is recognized as employee empowerment. Employee empowerment can be described as being a push of the authority to make decisions down to the frontline employees. Rather than responding to the orders they are given, these employees accomplish results by taking personal responsibility of their duties. “Cultures that support empowerment encourage managers to be facilitators, catalysts, coaches, developers and enablers of others rather than just decision making authorities” (McCrimmon Ph.D., 2011).

In today’s business age, organizations are looking for the extra edge to allow them to outperform their competitors and to gain market share. An important factor in direct correlation to an organization’s performance is employee productivity. So, the next question most of us ask is “How can I improve employee productivity?” There are many businesses today that believe in the philosophy that by empowering employees it will improve productivity and also provide other benefits. This philosophy is based on the theory that when employees are empowered to take control and make decisions, they deem themselves more capable, confident, and determined to work more effectively and efficiently. As a result of these business practices, staff become much more productive.

In order to solidify your understanding of why companies choose to embrace employee empowerment, you must first realize the benefits associated with employee empowerment. Let us take a closer look at some of the positive impacts that empowering employees can have on an organization’s productivity, ...

... middle of paper ...

...leadership style is both: Participative and Delegative

Participative leaders accept input from one or more group members when making decisions and solving problems, but the leader retains the final say when choices are made. Group members tend to be encouraged and motivated by this style of leadership. This style of leadership often leads to more effective and accurate decisions, since no leader can be an expert in all areas. Input from group members with specialized knowledge and expertise creates a more complete basis for decision-making.

Delegative leaders allow group members to make decisions. This style is best used in situations where the leader needs to rely on qualified employees. The leader cannot be an expert in all situations, which is why it is important to delegate certain tasks out to knowledgeable and trustworthy employees. (About.com Psychology.)