CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that
giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction. Empowerment is the process of increasing
the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those
choices into desired actions and outcomes. Central to this process are actions
which both build individual and collective assets, and improve the efficiency
and fairness of the organizational and institutional context which govern the
use of these assets.
Delegation involves .General: Grant of authority by one party (the delegator) to another (the delegate)
for agreed purpose(s). Under the legal concept of vicarious
liability, the delegator
remains responsible for the delegate' sacts or omissions in carrying out the purpose of the
delegation. Agency: Transfer of an agent's right to act for the principal (such as from a contractor to a sub-contractor) that can take place
only with the permission of the
principal, where it is customary, or
where it is necessary for the performance of the entrusted duty..Management: Sharing or transfer of authority and the associated responsibility, from an employer or superior (who has the right to delegate)
to an employee subordinate. Delegation
occurs when someone with authority confers upon another person the power to do
a particular task. Delegation is usually a one-way street - superiors delegate
authority to subordinates. However, ultimate responsibility for task completion
usually remains the responsibility of the person who delegated the authority to
complete it. For example, if your boss delegates a task to you, she is likely
still ultimately responsible for making sure that task is accomplished.
To delegate means to choose or elect a person
to act as a representative for another. To empower someone means to give power
or authority to someone else. Do you hear the difference? To delegate something
to someone is to only give them enough leash to act on your behalf, as you
would for yourself. To empower another means you give them enough power and
authority to act on their own behalf. This is not good versus bad. There is a
proper time for delegation. I can think of two: when someone is truly new to
the ways of leadership and in times of crisis.
When someone is cutting their
teeth on leadership then you want to teach them how to handle responsibility.
It is the principle of seeing if they will be faithful in little so that they
might grow into being faithful with much. In times of crisis, there needs to be
an authoritative decision maker and those who are willing to simply carry out
those decisions to meet the critical need of the moment. But these two
scenarios leave a lot of opportunity for empowerment. In my mind there are
three critical aspects to empowerment. To truly empower someone you must grant
them authority, you must give them proper resources, and you must hold them
accountable to organizational values and principles. They have to have enough
authority to make some significant and important decisions. You have to give
power away. They have to have resources that are truly theirs to steward.
People, money, and tools. Yet it is not a free for all. There should be an accountable
aspect that helps them stay within the playing field of organizational
boundaries. You tell them the “what” but the “how” is left up to them. They
have to have enough of all three things to truly have the freedom to fail on
their own efforts–and learn. While there is a proper time for both things I am
pushing the action point towards empowerment. Here are some reasons why: Delegation
largely raises up followers-empowerment raises up leaders. Delegation is less
work for you in the short run-empowerment is more work for you in the short
run. Delegation is more work for you in the long run-empowerment is less work
for you in the long run. Delegation keeps you in the center of leadership
activity-empowerment places someone else at the center of leadership activity. Delegation
ensures that you are your own leadership legacy, for good or for bad.
Empowerment ensures that more leaders are your leadership legacy, which is
almost always good. The research therefore seek to evaluate the impact of empowerment
and delegation on employee moral and productivity
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Delegation occurs when someone with authority confers
upon another person the power to do a particular task. Delegation is usually a
one-way street - superiors delegate authority to subordinates. However,
ultimate responsibility for task completion usually remains the responsibility
of the person who delegated the authority to complete it. For example, if your
boss delegates a task to you, she is likely still ultimately responsible for
making sure that task is accomplished .Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that
giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction.
The notion is that whether it is empowerment
or delegation the employee are given the opportunity to take responsibilities
and participate in matters affecting them such as goal setting ,decision
making, program planning etc. It gives them a sense of commitment and being
wanted, moreover it gives them the opportunity to explore problems and offer
solutions, builds their capacity and sense of maturity.
However many organization do not view
empowerment and delegation as vital tool in organizational development and
progress.
The result is that employees remain stagnant,
immature and unable to take initiative when their immediate boss is not around
The employee productivity level is affected. Therefore
the problem confronting this research is an assessment of the impact of
empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity with a case
study of Julius Berger Plc.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What
is the nature of empowerment and delegation?
2. What
is the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity?
3. What
is the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity
in Julius Berger Plc?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH
1. To
determine the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and
productivity.
2. To
determine the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and
productivity in Julius Berger Plc.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study shall expound the nature of
empowerment and delegation. It shall project the impact of empowerment and
delegation on employee morale and productivity. It shall also serve as a source
of information to managers and institutions.
1.6 STATEMENT OF
THE HYPOTHESIS
1. Ho: Employee morale and productivity in Julius
berger is low.
Hi: Employee morale and productivity in Julius
berger is high.
2. Ho: Empowerment and delegation is not
significant in Julius Berger Plc.
Hi: Empowerment and delegation is significant in Julius Berger Plc
3 H0: Impact
of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity is low.
Hi: Impact
of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity is high.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
study focuses on the assessment of the impact of empowerment and delegation on
employee morale and productivity with a case study of Julius Berger Plc.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that
giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction. Empowerment is the process of increasing
the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those
choices into desired actions and outcomes.
DELEGATION
Delegation involves general grant of authority by one party (the delegator) to another (the delegate)
for agreed purpose(s).
