Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

necessary in the financial sense, but in terms of identifying with the goals and mission
of the organization. For employees to be empowered, however, and have an ownership
mentality, four conditions need to be met, according to Professor Dan Ondrack at the
Rotman School of Management:

• There must be a clear definition of the values and mission of the company.


• The company must help employees gain the relevant skills.


• Employees need to be supported in their decision making and not criticized
  when they try to do something extraordinary.


• Employees need to be recognized for their efforts.^32

Exhibit 7-4 outlines what two researchers discovered in studying the characteristics of
empowered employees.

Effects of Empowerment
Does empowerment work? Researchers have shown that at both the individual level^33
and the team level,^34 empowerment leads to greater productivity. At Winnipeg-based
Melet Plastics, a manufacturer of plastic components, employees can come in for two
extra hours each week (for which they are paid overtime) to work on projects of their
choice that help improve the performance of the company. As a result, employees are less

Chapter 7Power and Politics 231

EXHIBIT 7-4 Characteristics of Empowered People

Robert E. Quinn and Gretchen M. Spreitzer, in their research on the characteristics of empowered people (through both

in-depth interviews and survey analysis), found four characteristics that most empowered people have in common:

• Empowered people have a sense of self-determination(this means that they are free to choose how to do their work;
  they are not micromanaged).


• Empowered people have a sense of meaning(they feel that their work is important to them; they care about what they
  are doing).


• Empowered people have a sense of competence(this means that they are confident about their ability to do their work
  well; they know they can perform).


• Empowered people have a sense of impact(this means that people believe they can have influence on their work unit;
  others listen to their ideas).

Source:R. E. Quinn and G. M. Spreitzer, “The Road to Empowerment: Seven Questions Every Leader Should Consider,” Organizational Dynamics,

Autumn 1997, p. 41.

Great Little Box Company

(GLBC)

http://www.greatlittlebox.com

At Vancouver-based Great Little

Box Company (GLBC), which

designs and manufactures corru-

gated containers, employees are

given the freedom to do whatever

they feel is necessary and appro-

priate to make customers happy. If

a customer is dissatisfied with the

product, the employee can say,

“OK, I’ll bring this product back

and return it for you” without

having to get prior authorization.