Employee Empowerment is giving employees responsibility and authority to make decisions regarding all aspects of product development or customer service.
Some of the disadvantage of employee empowerment include: employees can abuse the increased power given to them; it is too much responsibility for some employees; employees who focus on their own success rather than group's may leave; managers must be better trained to facilitate through sharing of information, cooperation, and referrals to appropriate resources; all employees must "buy in" to the concept for it to be effective; there is an increased cost to the organization for training and education; there is increased time in groups or committees which takes away from regular jobs; there may be increased conflict or power struggle betweeen employees due to group work; some employees may not be knowledgeable enough to make good business decisions; decisions made on the basis of personality versus logical reasoning.
Advantages of employee empowerment include: increased employee education and training; employees participate in creating their own goals; increased employee contribution; increased respect among employees secondary to teamwork; increased power equals lower absenteeism and better productivity; employees have more satisfying work; an increased depth of competence among employees secondary to cross-training; less conflict with administration and managers; fewer middle management positions means decreased cost to the company. Employees are more likely to agree with changes if they participate in decision making.
There needs to be a balance between empowerment and traditional management. The manager of the department needs to be sensitive to the employees' needs and the company's needs and to know how to use a management style that will work best to achieve desired outcomes.
From Sri Lanka
1Some of the disadvantage of employee empowerment include: employees can abuse the increased power given to them; it is too much responsibility for some employees; employees who focus on their own success rather than group's may leave; managers must be better trained to facilitate through sharing of information, cooperation, and referrals to appropriate resources; all employees must "buy in" to the concept for it to be effective; there is an increased cost to the organization for training and education; there is increased time in groups or committees which takes away from regular jobs; there may be increased conflict or power struggle betweeen employees due to group work; some employees may not be knowledgeable enough to make good business decisions; decisions made on the basis of personality versus logical reasoning.
Advantages of employee empowerment include: increased employee education and training; employees participate in creating their own goals; increased employee contribution; increased respect among employees secondary to teamwork; increased power equals lower absenteeism and better productivity; employees have more satisfying work; an increased depth of competence among employees secondary to cross-training; less conflict with administration and managers; fewer middle management positions means decreased cost to the company. Employees are more likely to agree with changes if they participate in decision making.
There needs to be a balance between empowerment and traditional management. The manager of the department needs to be sensitive to the employees' needs and the company's needs and to know how to use a management style that will work best to achieve desired outcomes.
From Sri Lanka
In comparison to the earlier job holders, the newer generation shows much improved potential in diagnosis, dexterity and also resilience. May be the result of better education at colleges and more exposure to the society at large, better and faster movement around and also the knowledge and skills imparted by the print media as well as Visual communication. So, in an organisational context, one can find high calibred staff, who are capable and keen to contribute in whatever manner possible. It is also incorrect to believe that only the formal managers are managing the Division- mostly they would be doing so with the involvement or assistance of such capable contributors. Hence empowerment can easily be practised, if the organisation bears the additional overheads on training and development, which would immediatley get compensated by the enlarged span of control and flatter system of organisation.
SACHI
SACHI
Empowerment is Educating and training your employees to take their own decisions.
Prerequisites are Willingness of the Senior Management, Clarity of objectives.
Advantages can be :
It enhances motivation.
It increases employee commitment
It increases team spirit
It frees the time of senior management and they can focus on more strategic desions
Disadvantages can be:
Not all staff is trained to operate in dynamic environment and hence take decisions
you cannot standardise the processes
conflict can increase - interpersonal relations may suffer coz there can be a clash between employees
Tan
From India, Mumbai
Prerequisites are Willingness of the Senior Management, Clarity of objectives.
Advantages can be :
It enhances motivation.
It increases employee commitment
It increases team spirit
It frees the time of senior management and they can focus on more strategic desions
Disadvantages can be:
Not all staff is trained to operate in dynamic environment and hence take decisions
you cannot standardise the processes
conflict can increase - interpersonal relations may suffer coz there can be a clash between employees
Tan
From India, Mumbai
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