The Power Behind Empowerment: Implications for Research and Practice
TLDR
In this article, the authors present a four-dimensional model which shows the multifaceted way in which power works and then use this power model as a lens with which to examine empowerment practices in business.Abstract:
The 1990s have been called the “empowerment era,” yet growing evidence suggests that empowerment programs often fail to meet the expectations of both managers and employees. To provide a better understanding as to why empowerment programs often fail and to suggest how such failures may be averted, we examine the power behind empowerment. Ironically, although power and empowerment are inextricably linked, much of the work on empowerment in the business literature has been devoid of any discussion of power. We present a four-dimensional model which shows the multifaceted way in which power works. In it, we observe the similarities and differences in the ways that different theorists have approached the study of power, notably those ascribing to mainstream, critical, and Foucauldian perspectives. We then use this power model as a lens with which to examine empowerment practices in business. This analysis suggests a number of possible reasons for the failure of business empowerment programs and provides direc...read more
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Planning in the Face of Power.
Deborah M. Kolb,John Forester +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the role and ethics of planners acting as sources of misinformation are considered, and a practical and politically sensitive form of progressive planning practice is defined. But the authors do not discuss the role of planners in this process.
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Beyond Self-Management: Antecedents and Consequences of Team Empowerment
Bradley L. Kirkman,Benson Rosen +1 more
TL;DR: This paper examined the antecedents, consequences, and mediational role of team empowerment using 111 work teams in four organizations and found that empowered teams were more productive and proactive than less empowered teams and had higher levels of customer service, job satisfaction and organizational and team commitment.
Journal ArticleDOI
Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment in organizations: A meta-analytic review.
TL;DR: Meta-analytic support for an integrated model specifying the antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment is provided, indicating that contextual antecedent constructs representing perceived high-performance managerial practices, socio-political support, leadership, and work characteristics are each strongly related to psychological empowerment.
Book
Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present two volumes of work and organizational psychology, focusing on individuals in organizations and personnel psychology issues, and develop a psychology of work principles that are applicable across international boundaries.
Taking Stock: A review of more than twenty years of research on empowerment at work
Abstract: Today, more than 70 per cent of organizations have adopted some kind of empowerment initiative for at least part of their workforce (Lawler et al., 2001). To be successful in today’s global business environment, companies need the knowledge, ideas, energy, and creativity of every employee, from front line workers to the top level managers in the executive suite. The best organizations accomplish this by empowering their employees to take initiative without prodding, to serve the collective interests of the company without being micro-managed, and to act like owners of the business (O’Toole and Lawler, 2006). So what do we know about empowerment in work organizations? In this chapter, I will conduct an in-depth review of the literature on empowerment at work. I start by framing the two classic approaches to empowerment – social-structural and psychological – before outlining the current state of the literature. I then close the chapter by discussing key debates in the field and emergent directions for future research.
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Handbook of Qualitative Research
TL;DR: The discipline and practice of qualitative research have been extensively studied in the literature as discussed by the authors, including the work of Denzin and Denzin, and their history in sociology and anthropology, as well as the role of women in qualitative research.
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Book
Power/Knowledge: Selected Interviews and Other Writings 1972-1977
Michel Foucault,Colin Gordon +1 more
TL;DR: The Eye of Power: A Discussion with Maoists as mentioned in this paper discusses the politics of health in the Eighteenth Century, the history of sexuality, and the Confession of the Flesh.