Employee perceptions of empowerment
| Pages | 354-368 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450510605697 |
| Date | 01 August 2005 |
| Published date | 01 August 2005 |
| Author | Kay Greasley,Alan Bryman,Andrew Dainty,Andrew Price,Robby Soetanto,Nicola King |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
ER
27,4
354
Employee Relations
Vol. 27 No. 4, 2005
pp. 354-368
#Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/01425450510605697
Received 19 April 2004
Revised 31 August 2004
Accepted 21 September
2004
Employee perceptions of
empowerment
Kay Greasley
University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
Alan Bryman, Andrew Dainty, Andrew Price and Robby Soetanto
Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK and
Nicola King
Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to examine how empowerment is perceived by individuals employed on
construction projects. In contrast with previous research which has predominantly been conducted
from a management perspective, this paper deals with employee perceptions of empowerment.
Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was adopted for this study employing
in-depth interviews on four major constr uction projects.
Findings – The findings from the study indicate that there can be a gap between the employee
experience and the management rhetoric. Health and Safety issues were often cited by the employees
as a major barrier to empowerment. The strict Health and Safety regulations under which
construction employees operate limit their freedom to influence the work that they undertake. A
further factor that was found to have a strong influence on the diffusion of empowerment was the role
of the employees’ immediate supervisor.
Research limitations/implications – The data are based on case studies that illuminate our
understanding of empowerment in relation to construction projects. This area of research would
benefit from alternative research approaches that could establish the generalizability of the findings
reported.
Originality/value – This article explores the notion that, as empowerment is a p erception,
management cannot easily regulate employees’ empowerment. This emphasises the importance of
exploring employee perspectives when examining employee empowerment and its impact on
workplace relations.
Keywords Employee participation, Empowerment, Construction operations
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The concept of employee participation has been a focus fo r research and practice for
many years. It has taken many different forms, evolving through the employee
involvement and participative decision-making concepts into the contempo rary
empowerment perspective. The notion of empowerment involves the workforce being
provided with a greater degree of flexibility and more freedom to make decisions
relating to work. This contrasts markedly with traditional management techniques
that have emphasised control, hierarchy and rigidity. The meaning of empowerment
has tended to be associated with the concept of power, thereby implying that power
is redistributed by those in a senior position to those in more subordinate
positions (Tulloch, 1993). Whilst there are accounts of the supposed advantages of
empowerment, it still remains a poorly defined concept, which is frequently used in a
rhetorical sense (Mondros and Wilson, 1994).
The important role of empowerment in the constr uction industry has been
recognised by reports such as the Rethinking Construction report on respect for people
(RfP, 2000). This report expounded the central role of empowerment in improving
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