Human Assets

The researchers then delve behind empowerment, looking at two contributors to empowerment. The first is the individual's preference for autonomy. They theorise that people who prefer autonomy will adjust their tasks and thereby experience a greater sense of empowerment than those with lower autonomy orientation. The second variable is the amount of autonomy that people are provided by their team leaders and colleagues and the degree to which this autonomy is personalised. Those provided more autonomy will feel greater empowerment, particularly if they are singled out for treatment. 

As the authors note, these findings have obvious implications for managing people in order to keep them. Empowerment has clear dividends in terms of turnover. Furthermore, hiring more autonomous people appears to yield a benefit because those people will create their own empowerment. 

We would add that empowerment operates very much at a subjective level. People will not respond to sham empowerment. It needs to be part of the culture of the organisation and to operate consistently and without obvious contradictions.

How can Human Assets help?

As a leading firm of business psychologists, we can help you diagnose the extent to which your staff feel empowered and identify and tackle the blockages to empowerment. This might involve getting team leaders to improve their delegation skills or it might require a re-examination of the messages that come from the top in terms of valuing individuality.

 January 2012