Topic Introduction: Employee Empowerment
In this research proposal, the topic of employee empowerment (EE), its methods, and their comparative effectiveness are suggested.
EE is being actively studied nowadays by researchers in the fields of psychology and management. It could be explained by the fact that EE has been a popular human resource (HR) management strategy in the past couple of decades. This fact, in turn, is a logical consequence of the positive impact that EE has on a number of job-related parameters, including job satisfaction and performance (Maynard, Luciano, D’Innocenzo, Mathieu & Dean, 2014). Therefore, the topic is currently important and practically applicable. Approaches to empowerment include three general directions. Psychological empowerment is focused on the employees’ experiences, and an example of a method of this kind is training and learning opportunities that increase the employees’ self-esteem and self-efficacy. Leadership empowerment dwells on the leader’s actions that empower, for example, encouragement of participation in discussions. Discretion methods are focused on the structures and policies that enable empowerment, for example, decentralization (Fock, Hui, Au & Bond, 2012). Naturally, these approaches can be and usually are combined as they produce unique blends of empowering practices (Dewettinck & van Ameijde, 2011). The results of EE methods can vary, for example, depending on a culture’s level of power distance (Fock et al., 2012). As a result, the aim of describing varied methods of EE and their effectiveness appears to be an appropriate research topic.
Previous and Future Research
Some of the research questions are general ones and are going to set the background for the research. They include the definition of EE and a description of its impacts (which should explain the popularity of the notion in the modern HR environment). The major question can be set as follows: what are the most popular trends in EE nowadays? Apart from that, attempts at defining their relative effectiveness will be made. It can be achieved with the help of the existing research or by determining the impressions of CEOs and HR managers. In general, the ideas of managers concerning various EE methods are of interest for this research since they are capable of providing insights concerning the non-measurable impacts of EE, which appear to be most significant.
The selected topic appears to fit the humanistic school of thought. In particular, the following features of the humanistic approach seem to be of importance: the focus on free will and self-actualization as well as the holistic view of the person and the idea of learning responsibility (Arnaud & Wasieleski, 2013). All of these aspects have obviously had an influence on modern HR management practices, including EE.
Research Questions
Since the 1980s, it has been argued that the humanistic approach has lost its influence, but its traces are evident in modern psychology (DeRobertis, 2013, pp. 421-427). Apart from that, it has had a great impact on HR management. Wilson and Madsen, (2008) demonstrate that Maslow’s humanistic views have influenced the HR practices related to learning. Arnaud and Wasieleski (2013) describe an “underdeveloped” approach to HR management termed “humanistic management” (p. 314). These articles also show that the humanistic school of thought is not left in the past; instead, it is developing and changing to accommodate the modern trends in various areas of human activities.
Conclusion
Finally, the humanistic approach has had an influence on the development of qualitative research methods in psychology (DeRobertis, 2013). Qualitative research is typical for the approach, and the proposed study is also most likely to employ its methods.
It should be pointed out that the selected topic is rather broad. As the research progresses, it can be deemed more logical to limit it to a particular EE direction (most certainly, psychological) or apply other limitations depending on the information available.
References
Arnaud, S., & Wasieleski, D. (2013). Corporate Humanistic Responsibility: Social Performance Through Managerial Discretion of the HRM. Journal of Business Ethics, 120(3), 313-334.
DeRobertis, E. (2013). Humanistic Psychology: Alive in the 21st Century? Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 53(4), 419-437.
Dewettinck, K., & van Ameijde, M. (2011). Linking leadership empowerment behaviour to employee attitudes and behavioural intentions. Personnel Review, 40(3), 284-305.
Fock, H., Hui, M., Au, K., & Bond, M. (2012). Moderation Effects of Power Distance on the Relationship Between Types of Empowerment and Employee Satisfaction. Journal Of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(2), 281-298.
Maynard, M., Luciano, M., D’Innocenzo, L., Mathieu, J., & Dean, M. (2014). Modeling time-lagged reciprocal psychological empowerment–performance relationships. Journal Of Applied Psychology, 99(6), 1244-1253.
Wilson, I., & Madsen, S. R. (2008). The Influence of Maslow’s Humanistic Views on an Employee’s Motivation to Learn. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, 13(2), 46-62. Web.