If the primary concern is quality, then an empowering plan can be part of a quality, improvement initiative. If the primary concern is with productivity, then productivity improvement method and problem solving method are incorporated in empowerment development programme. If material usage is the problem, then just-in-time (JIT) methods can help. Successful empowerment depends on encouraging an enterprising approach to work. Empowering others is essentially a matter of cultural change. Few existing cultures are able to support the types of change in attitude and practice that effective empowerment depends on. Power culture is the most traditional form of culture found in organisation. It is found in organisation where charismatic entrepreneur has developed the organisation by personal energy. In such organisation, power is rested in the centre from which web of control spreads out. Role culture is the type of culture associated with large bureaucratic structure with hierarchical, pyramidical management structure. If an organisation is a unit to sustain growth beyond the stage which can be supported by power culture, it will need to adopt new culture based on roles. Task culture is found where the organisational structure takes matrix or net form in which horizontal lines of communication are as important as vertical lines. Such structures are found in newer, small technology based organisations where the work is carried out in project teams. The team operates within the project parameters. Some organisation operates within person culture in which there are a few management structures and where the purpose is to support the activities of the individuals rather than control them. It permits high degree of autonomy to the individuals who are given the widest opportunity to exercise and develop their skills. The most common form of all structures is the hierarchical pyramid. This empowerment culture power is conducted where it will have most outcome. The role of manager is to maximise effective and proficient delivery of customer service by providing necessary means. Looking at issues of culture and structure in organisation reveal some difficulties that manager may face while empowering staff. Organisational climate is described as hostile or confusing, or supportive to those who work there. In trying to discover the kind of climate the organisation should have for the staff, one needs to focus on two key factors trust and openness.
Power ends
Empowerment seeks to eliminate unnecessary rules, procedures and standing orders that stand between the organisation and its goals. Manager, who is an authority, has the necessary knowledge and experience to guide and advice staff, helping them to make their own decisions based on that guidance. Empowering manager needs to be entrusted to an authority to whom staff can turn for counsel and suggestions as to how they might best deal with the given situation. Empowerment offers staff greater sense of achievement and improved motivation. In empowered workforce there is enhanced task significance. Staff feel that they can make a difference to important business outcomes. Empowerment achieves organisational effectiveness by removing the blocks and brakes on performance. If organisations are to be able to react quickly to fast changing environment they will need staff who are empowered to respond to circumstances without having to seek advice or permission. The introduction of empowerment requires careful planning if it is to be accepted by staff as new and better way of working. Clear plans and goals are a pre-requisite of effective empowerment. Managerial skills required in an empowered organisation include facilitating, consulting, collaborating, mentoring, enabling and supporting. Enabling means ensuring that the staff has all resources to be empowered. Facilitation is the most fundamental requirement of an empowering manager. Full collaboration between managers and staff should be the ultimate goal of any empowerment programme.
Research suggests that when people experience empowerment at work, positive outcomes are likely to occur. When employees experience more empowerment, they report less job strain and more job satisfaction and organizational commitment. They are also less likely to leave the company. But empowerment does not only affect employee attitudes, it also affects their performance (i.e., managerial effectiveness and employee productivity/performance) and work behaviors (i.e., innovation, upward influence, and being inspirational to others). Research on empowered teams also indicates positive outcomes. More empowered teams have better process improvement, higher quality products/services, and more customer satisfaction than less empowered teams. Empowered teams are also more proactive, less resistant to change, satisfied with their jobs, and committed to the team and the organization. Recent research also suggests that empowerment is particularly important in certain kinds of contexts. Empowerment is found to be especially important in virtual settings where people 5 do not have face to face interactions and must work for independently. And empowerment has been found to be particularly important to preserve the hope and attachment of survivors during times of organizational downsizing. Empowerment practices are implemented with the hopes of building employee commitment, overcoming worker dissatisfaction, and reducing absenteeism, turnover, poor 6 quality work, and sabotage. But all too often these implementation efforts fail to achieve their hoped for results. Why? First, some managers confuse empowerment with a quick fix and give up before it has been successfully implemented. The transition from a more traditional command-and-control system to an empowered organization requires a culture change. It is not unusual for a culture change to take upwards of five year to stick. Culture changes take discipline, consistency, and patience. The long-term approach necessary for successful empowerment implementation efforts appear at odds with a business environment that requires quarterly results. This long-term approach is especially difficult as leadership transitions bring frequent changes to the vision for the organization.
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