Empowerment makes workers feel more involved in their jobs and the operations of the organization by involving them in decision making. However, empowerment is a tool that is used inconsistently in different workplaces. If you worked in a position that did not empower you, would you want it? How do you envision empowerment looking in the workplace?

Assignment

Form small groups of three or four. Each member of the group should think about the last time you had a complaint that you brought to a company’s attention. Perhaps you purchased an item that quickly malfunctioned, you wanted to exchange a pair of pants for a larger size, or you were not happy with the service you received at an auto body shop.

1. Who helped you address the problem? Was the salesperson empowered to give you a refund or an exchange? Or did the employee have to call in a manager?

2. Every group member should share their experiences with one another.

3. Discuss the following among your group:

a. From the perspective of upper management, what are the pros and cons of empowering workers to take care of problems?

b. What about from the perspective of the employees?

c. How did your experiences as customers change, depending on how empowered the workers were? Did you prefer dealing with the employee or the manager?