Employee

Empowerment and
Involvement:
Interpersonal Intervention
Objectives
 To clarify the definitions, significance,
obstacles and contents of empowerment and
involvement.

 To understand differences between

empowerment and employee Involvement.

 To start learning how to empower and involve

your employees/ get empowered and involved.
Empowerment
Introduction
 What’s empowerment

 “The extension of your wisdom and leadership.”

 "empowerment" often refers loosely to processes for

giving subordinates (or workers generally) greater
discretion and resources: distributing control in order to
better serve both customers and the interests of
employing organizations

 Empowerment in Chinese myth

Components

 Workers
(motivated workers with the skill and desire to
take on additional responsibility)

 Managers
(managers willing to share power and facilitate
employee development)

 The bridge between the both

Introduction (cont.)

 Why important (simplified version)

-- for you
-- for your peers and subordinates
-- for your company
-- (for Zoe)
Introduction (cont.)
 Why important (professional version)

1. Organization structure
(flatter, respond quickly, teaming, flexibility)
2. Programs (TQM & Customer Services)
(greater participation, information oriented)
3.
Obstacles
-- from a perspective of managers

 “ I don’t want to”

--- Why?

 “I don’t like risks”

--- Why you think it is risky?

 “I don’t know how”

--- some Tips (look at leadership training)
Obstacles
-- organizational improvement potential

 Control and Commitment

 Organizational Culture

 Individual Acceptance
solutions (1)
-- Leadership training
 “why not?!”

 Your leadership model

1. Provide vision
2. Provide positive support and words of encouragement
3. Highlight exemplar behavior
4. Recognize incremental success
5. Share power based on individual needs and ability
Solutions (2)
-- Selection and Training
 Selection
(willingness, decision-making,
responsibilities ， internal motivation)

 Training
(skills, knowledge, and most importantly,
employee commitment)
What workers can do?

 Commitment

 Self management

 Communication with managers

 Empower your boss and your company!

Bridge

 Language
 Attitudes
 Trust
 Corporate culture
 Training
 Clarified goals
Involvement
What is it?

 Employee Involvement- a participative

style of management
 Increase employee’s understanding
 Utilize their talents
 Enable them to influence decisions
 Encourage their commitment
Managements Side

 Sharing ideas and suggestions

 Recognizing people’s contributions
 Each idea is treated with respect, fairly
evaluated and striving to implement
every idea possible
 Feedback and mentoring
 All appropriately recognized
All levels
 To employees
 Carry out the goals that are implemented
 Increases individual morale and motivation
 Management
 Clear purpose
 Company
 Strategic goal, satisfy customers, save money,
morale, quality, safety
 Generate positive, impact on satisfaction with
supervision, work, and solidarity
Different types of EI

 Indirect Involvement- A representative

acts on behalf of employees, for example
through collective bargaining or joint
consultation
 Direct Involvement- employees are
involved in decisions about how they
work, for example through quality circles
or autonomous work groups.
Models
 Tannenbaum and Schmidt: Continuum
 Tell- The supervisor makes the decision and
announces it to the staff. The supervisor provides
complete direction
 Sell- The supervisor makes the decision and then
attempts to gain commitment from staff by “selling”
the positive aspects of the decision
 Consult- The supervisor invites input into a decision
while retaining authority to make the final decision
her/his self
 Join- The supervisor invites employees to make the
decision with the supervisor. The supervisor
considers her voice equal in the decision process
When EI goes wrong

 Lack of comprehensiveness and intensity

 Program implemented haphazardly
 Unclear goals
 Little commitment from employees and
managers
Delta Airlines

 Has one of the most advanced, high level

employee involvement programs
 Delta before employee involvement
 Delta after employee involvement

 Ford Co.
Ford Motor Co. Employee Empowerment
Connection to Heroz and
Champy
 Heroz- Employee’s point of view of how
to handle employee involvement and
empowerment
 Champy- Managers point of view on how
to implement employee involvement and
empowerment
 Examples: