Introduction

Observations on the In this article, members of the Editorial Adviso-

state of empowerment ry Board for this Journal review the state of
in today’s organization empowerment in today’s organizations.

William B. Harley
Linda Logan,
William B. Harley,
Joan Pastor,
Linda S. Wing,
Naftaly Glasman,
Lee Hanson,
David Collins,
Barbara A. Cleary,
Jacqueline Miller and
Paul Hegedahl
The authors
Linda Logan is Editor of Empowerment in Organizations;
William B. Harley is President, Harley Training & Consulting,
St Paul, USA; Joan Pastor is President, Joan Pastor & Associ-
ates, Oceanside, USA; Linda S. Wing is Coach for Organiza-
tional Effectiveness, Human Systems Design, Inc., Edina, USA;
Naftaly Glasman is Professor of Education and Political
Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA; Lee
Hanson is Assistant Professor, University of California, San
Bernardino, USA; David Collins is Senior Lecturer in Human
Resource Management, University of Sunderland, UK;
Barbara A. Cleary is with PQ Systems, Inc., Dayton, USA;
Jacqueline Miller is President, jmiller associates, Burnsville,
USA; and Paul Hegedahl is Editor of Ledelse I Dag, Denmark. demonstrating skills in the use of types of con-
Abstract
Each member of the Journal’s Editorial Advisory Board reviews closely to their sense of identity and self-worth.
the state of empowerment in today’s organizations.
Generally speaking, the state of empowerment
in organizations today has improved significant-
ly beyond its position five years ago, but a huge
task remains if empowerment is to reach its full
potential.
Pockets of empowerment within organiza-
tions are becoming increasingly common are
where low- and mid-level managers have coura-
geously established a subculture of empower-
ment within an organization which is largely
unempowered. Organizations which have estab-
lished pervasive cultures of empowerment are
still quite uncommon.
In my experience, the primary source of
resistance is upper-level managers who seem
unwilling to confront the disparity between the
empowering values they espouse and the disem-
powering behaviors they model. These upper-
level managers often respond from ingrained
habits or compulsions with controlling behavior
which not only reinforces the controlling ten-
dencies of some lower-level managers, but
destroys the climate of trust and safety which
most other managers need if they are to risk
experimentation with empowering behavior.
Because these upper-level managers were
usually promoted to their current positions for
trolling behavior, in many cases they are being
challenged to change attributes which are tied
Changes of this type require conscious choices
based not only on self-awareness but also on
levels of humility, courage, detachment and
commitment which most upper-level managers
scarcely seem able to muster. Meanwhile, an
ever-increasing cadre of low and mid-level
managers, skilled in empowerment, are
creeping up the management ranks.

Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · pp. 6–11
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0968-4891
6
Joan Pastor
I have mixed reactions about the state of
empowerment at this time. The bad news is that
 Observations on the state of empowerment in today’s organizations
Linda Logan et al.
companies are realizing how difficult it is to
“empower” people. Many companies (if not the
majority), and the managers and human
resource people within them, do not truly
understand what empowerment is or exactly
what it entails. Furthermore, there are many
people who claim to be “experts” in empower-
ment, and yet create more problems for organi-
zations. I found myself brought into companies
several times this past year to fix problems
previous consultants had created. Finally, peo-
ple are so overworked right now owing to down-
sizing (and so afraid of making a mistake
because they do not want to be the next to go)
that many are interpreting empowerment as
another responsibility which they do not want
dumped on their shoulders. Downsizing creates
bile in people’s mouths, and so they are often
suspicious of even the best CEO’s good inten-
tions.
On the good side, downsizing has created the
necessity to push authority down and work
more in teams. Also, I am seeing much flatter
companies now which are ready to go on to the
next step in their growth. Management is finally
becoming more sophisticated, and more com-
mitted to empowerment; once they experience
how it really works, managers have much less
problem letting go and letting their employees
get more involved. A lot of success in successful
“empowerment” still goes back to senior man-
agement’s intentions, or perceived intentions.
One clothing retailer with whom I am cur-
rently working has always succeeded by letting
other retailers set the fads and fashions. Once a
fad looks like it will endure, the retailer jumps in
and starts producing the same. However, after
years of success with this approach it has discov-
ered it cannot remain a “follower”. To be suc-
cessful in today’s global market it has to be one
of the forerunners, for those who straggle
behind may get left behind – the market is
changing constantly, and quickly.
So this company has been working to stream-
line the organization, and I am currently work-
ing with its distribution center to help to set up
teams that will eventually become self-managed,
helping them to increase greatly the amount of
cross-functional interaction, identifying and
increasing JIT training critical to people’s work,
hiring the right people, upgrading the whole
computer system, and so on. The vice-president
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · 6–11
is cracking down on managers who cannot or
will not change with the changing organizational
culture – we are currently working on one key
manager who, in particular, has a hard time
letting go and letting his people take over deci-
sion making and other work which they are
more than ready and willing to do. We are get-
ting management and employees to talk honest-
ly with one another and keep one another much
more informed. It is exciting to see the growth
so far.
Linda S. Wing
When Linda Logan asked me to comment on
my view of empowerment as we enter into 1996,
I eagerly said “yes”. I am in the camp of busi-
ness management consultants who still believe
the full productive capacity of the workforce will
only be achieved by unleashing the full creative
potential of the workers, including the manager-
ial contributors. In order to be fair, however, I
have to express my concern that the concept of
empowerment has not made a significant
impact in most organizations. In fact, many
organizations have gone back to a more hierar-
chical structure, arguing that empowerment
techniques have done nothing to enhance the
achievement of organizational goals. Why might
this be the case when, intuitively, empowerment
displays such good business sense? Unleashing
hundreds of minds surely should result in better
and more fruitful outcomes. Why, then, does a
significant leap in productivity elude those
organizations attempting to implement empow-
erment? I believe that the answer may lie in
understanding the knowledge worker and the
future role of management in a society of knowl-
edge workers. The following is a clear, personal-
ly experienced example of the problem.
At a recent national conference, a knowl-
edgeable and inspirational leader walked to the
podium to deliver a “state of the industry”
speech to conference attendees. During the
speech, the speaker asked the audience to
answer six questions relative to the state of the
industry, then asked each of the attendees to
share their responses with colleagues seated in
their immediate vicinity. Each of the partici-
pants answered the questions independently,
then shared their responses with colleagues
seated nearby. I shared with four colleagues. We
 Observations on the state of empowerment in today’s organizations
Linda Logan et al.
were surprised to find we had all answered the
six questions basically in the same manner; each
of us had a similar view of the world, the prima-
ry difference being the language used to
describe that view; the strategic intent of the
thoughts was about the same. This was a sur-
prising display of the collective knowledge base
of the knowledge workers in the room, and their
interpretation of their world. This amazing
display of the “collective” went unnoticed,
however, because the speaker failed to ask for
audience responses. The speaker went on to
answer the six questions raised, answering with
basically the same answers we had given in our
quick debriefing session, leaving us as listeners
somewhat confused and a little frustrated. In
essense, this person wasted an hour and a half of
our time giving us the answers to the questions
we had already answered. Being the profession-
als we are, we wondered why the time was not
spent more productively in problem solving or
resolution. Instead, we invested the time and
energy of 1,200 professionals redefining what
we already knew to be true!
This experiential event showed me the power
of the collective knowledge of the knowledge
workers. It also demonstrated for me the linger-
ing problem we have with leaders who still
believe their role is giving answers to a work-
force which is now working from the same
database of information. As the information gap
closes, this simple example shows that the role
of leader has changed drastically from “showing
and telling” information to:
• providing the workforce with an opportunity
to understand their commonalities and
differences of opinion;
• asking important questions which lead the
group to think and resolve important issues
facing the group;
• acting as a facilitator/resource gatherer and
facilitator to aid in shaping an appropriate
outcome.
Other roles may certainly emerge, but this list is
a good start. Imagine the power of a group of
1,200 professionals in the room that night
beginning to identify possible solutions to the
questions raised – a daunting prospect and one
which would require “real” leadership!
While empowerment has not yet made the
inroads into productivity which some of us
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Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · 6–11
believe possible, I believe we are close to under-
standing that the conceptual problem does not
lie in the concept of empowerment, but rather in
the redefinition of organizational structures and
leadership practices which diminish its impact.
Naftaly Glasman
Universities, especially those which are research
oriented, work under a shared governance
system by faculty and administration at all
levels, from the campus academic senate and
chief executive officer all the way to department
faculty committees and chairs. Progress toward
empowerment might be measured by the
increase in the time shared governance and is
not violated by the administration. The key
issue in observing and understanding violations
of empowerment is the definition and identifica-
tion of the point of origin of the authority in a
given area. For example, resource-driven pur-
chases of equipment and faculty-driven promo-
tion processes may look like empowering
processes which begin at opposite ends from
each other.
In my own department, empowerment has
swung back and forth from one end of the pen-
dulum to the other with the introduction of
various factors such as the current chair’s indi-
vidual characteristics; the involvement of the
faculty; the characteristics of the faculty; eco-
nomic conditions; and the quality of students,
to name a few.
Lee Hanson
It appears to me that empowerment, defined as
team-based organization, is becoming increas-
ingly common within the “core” labor market of
corporate America, that more or less
permanently-employed population providing
the strategic and technical services firms cannot
do without. While this is desirable, the problem
is that the core constitutes a minority of the
workforce, the people who are best educated
and most highly skilled. A vastly larger “periph-
ery” labor market, including low-skilled, often
temporary, employees may be experiencing
unempowered conditions which are as onerous
as anything under mass production, only worse
today because wages and benefits are declining
while job security vanishes. Should an “empow-
 Observations on the state of empowerment in today’s organizations
Linda Logan et al.
ered core/unempowered periphery” workforce
structure develop, the entire empowerment
movement could wind up largely ignoring the
people who, in my view at least, most need and
deserve it.
David Collins
The term “empowerment” has been part of the
vocabulary of management for perhaps ten
years now. This longevity carries with it the
suspicion that empowerment might be different
– it just might have some more substantial
foundation than other buzzwords spawned in
this period. It seems appropriate, therefore, that
we should pause for reflection.
When I pause for reflection I, along with
many others, find that there is much about
empowerment in organizations which is deserv-
ing of further study and analysis. Unfortunately,
however, I seem to see the world rather differ-
ently from my editorial colleagues. They see
things I would love to be able to see. No matter
how I try, however, I cannot see them. Instead,
where they find empowerment, I find disem-
powerment. Where they see liberation, all I can
see is control. And where they find cause for
celebration I find myself, instead, wringing my
hands with frustration because I would like to
find something to celebrate yet cannot. I would
like to report that work is becoming more fulfill-
ing, more rewarding (in all senses) and more
meaningful for those involved. Instead, in the
UK’s deregulated, “empowered” workplaces,
people are damaging their health, and the health
and wellbeing of their partners and their fami-
lies, as they work far harder, for longer, for less
reward.
Barbara A. Cleary
“Empowerment” continues to be a troublesome
word in many organizations, but progress
toward its objectives seems to be taking place
even with alternative terminology.
One measure of progress lies in the recogni-
tion of a changing paradigm. Major organiza-
tional publications accept teamwork, leadership
development and cross-functional decision
making as ways of life in corporations and other
organizations. Whether or not these concepts
are what come to mind for most executives
9
Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · 6–11
when they hear the word “empowerment”, they
are actually taking place as accepted practice in
many organizations.
As a sign of this impact, it is notable that
journals and professional articles in education
include the new skills of teamwork and visionary
thinking that are required by the marketplace.
Schools, often the last to recognize the new
challenges which their graduates will face, are
taking note of changes in organizations that will
have an impact on the way their graduates will
have to function.
Another hopeful sign lies in physical features
– the architecture – of many organizations.
More space is being dedicated to group meeting
areas where employees can discuss and plan
together. No longer reserved only as executive
conference areas, these spaces encourage those
involved in product design, marketing and sales
to make decisions as teams and solve the prob-
lems that challenge them. The organizational
chart may still be posted in its hierarchical and
traditional form, but what happens in the com-
pany’s meeting rooms offers evidence that
organizational boxes are breaking down into
empowered decision making.
Restructuring of organizations – often mani-
fested in downsizing and mass layoffs – provides
both an opportunity for renewed energy in
empowering employees and a simultaneous
reversion to old ways of doing things. It remains
to be seen how many corporations will emerge
from the trauma of restructuring as newly-
energized and empowered organizations, but
the potential exists for this to happen. Smaller
and more flexible organizations seem to have an
edge when it comes to empowerment
Jacqueline Miller
As a consultant I have witnessed a continuum of
empowerment situations in the past year. The
“worst case award” definitely goes to a US
Government customer service center where a
variety of disempowering behaviors (i.e. conde-
scension, autocratic management, racism,
spying, etc.) are demonstrated by upper man-
agement and training personnel. A majority of
the new hires (contract employees) left during
the internally delivered training sessions or
shortly after starting on line work. Those who
 Observations on the state of empowerment in today’s organizations
Linda Logan et al.
stayed feel “trapped” and demonstrate extremes
of passive-aggressive behavior.
The most delightful scenario was demon-
strated at the National Indian Education Asso-
ciation Conference. There I saw “all my rela-
tions” from many tribes working together in
effective teams for a unified goal: to help “all of
our children” through education. As a whole,
the convention was well-organized, on time
(that dispels a myth about “Indian time”),
professionally presented, full of excitement, fun,
feasts and celebrations of life and hope for the
future. Children and elders were an integral part
of the conference and the celebrations.
Overall, I do not see much change from year
to year in the total picture. Some organizations
are role models for empowerment or in the
process of increasing their opportunities for
empowerment. Others, while using all the right
terms in their language, seem to take giant steps
backward. Progress and challenge are in bal-
ance.
Paul Hegedahl
Regarding empowerment, there is nothing
rotton in the state of Denmark!
The term “empowerment” is hardly used and
you will find no translation. But the thoughts
and the values behind empowerment have been
in use for many years. It seems natural for
Nordic companies and organizations to have
empowered employees.
Most readers of this journal will be familiar
with the worldwide research carried out by Gert
Hofstede, a professor from The Netherlands.
Gert Hofstede measured several cultural dimen-
sions in more than 50 countries all over the
world and compared the findings. Nordic orga-
nizations (together with those of Ireland, New
Zealand, Austria and Israel) enjoy the lowest
power distance between managers and employ-
ees, meaning that work is based on consultation
and mutual respect.
These findings are substantiated by the
results from the authoritative World Competitive-
ness Report 1994 (published by World Economic
Forum and IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland).
This report shows that managers in Sweden,
Denmark and Norway – and, to a lesser degree,
Finland – are the most willing OECD countries
to delegate authority to subordinates. If these
10
Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · 6–11
findings are correlated with whether the rela-
tions between managers and staff are fragile or
productive, again the Nordic countries score
very highly.
Through the years, these practices have been
supported by legislation. Some 20 years ago, it
became law in Denmark that employees be
represented by their own democratically elected
representatives on the board of directors in the
companies in which they were employed. Many
owners were skeptical at the time, but today
everyone agrees that the experience has been
very good. Therefore, it is not surprising that
some major Danish companies are now among
the first to establish the cross-border advisory
committees which the EU has decided all multi-
national EU companies shall establish.
Another interesting example is the Associa-
tion of Danish Labour Unions. They have
created a PC-based training and development
program to help employees to understand the
concept of management better and play a con-
structive role in their companies.
Empowerment is very much alive in Den-
mark and the other Nordic countries; however,
it is not seen as a special theory, technique or
discussion, but rather as a natural and effective
way of running a company. This, in my opinion,
is due to deep cultural values originating in very
early times.
Linda R. Logan
I was not surprised to receive mixed reviews
from the Editorial Advisory Board on the state
of empowerment in today’s organizations.
There was quite a range of perception, from
David Collin’s reluctant belief that much of the
behavior labeled empowerment is little more
than a masquerade designed to strengthen
control and manipulation to Paul Hegedahl’s
belief that the values and practices of empower-
ment, though not called out as a specific
approach or intent, are typically the norm in
organizations of the Nordic countries.
The USA has its share of the best and the
worst. Leaders are particularly held accountable
for both failures and successes, as is realistic at
the level of organization. Those possessing
organizational power who are intent on tight
control and individual gain are governed by fear
and scarcity and, consequently, are not capable
 Observations on the state of empowerment in today’s organizations
Linda Logan et al.
of building empowering structures or modeling
empowerment without serious personal growth.
They have not learned self-empowerment,
which is lesson number one.
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions of
this work has been to distinguish the concepts of
empowerment, being empowered, and empow-
ering others. By naming it, and discussing the
attendant values, attitudes and behaviors, we
are helping to increase individual awareness and
choice. That in itself is empowering. When you
can more accurately assess a situation you are in
and envision the possibility of what could be,
you can make an informed choice. I have been
inside organizations, such as those intimated by
David Collins, whose leaders talk teamwork and
contribution, but whose actions tell a different
story. I have chosen to leave those companies.
Leaders and organizations no longer supported
by employees will eventually see the light. While
there are truly entrapping circumstances that
make it difficult for some people to exercise
their choice, is it not the most basic act of
empowerment to take control of our own choic-
es and use our lives and talents fully for collec-
tive betterment? My belief is that empowerment
starts within and moves outward; it never moves
the other way. You might argue that we can
teach empowerment to others, as many of us
professionally work at doing, but consider
11
Empowerment in Organizations
Volume 4 · Number 1 · 1996 · 6–11
Richard Bach’s view of learning and teaching
from The Messiah’s Handbook in his wonderful
parable, Illusions: “Learning is finding out what
you already know. Doing is demonstrating that
you know it. Teaching is reminding others that
they know just as well as you”[1].
It is interesting to note that, repeatedly, our
writers identified the same issues as both posi-
tive and negative. Lee Hanson, on one hand, is
concerned that a large percentage of our work-
force is forcibly being thrown out of the security
of the corporate nest. They can hardly take
advantage of empowerment within organiza-
tions. However, I find nothing more empower-
ing (I am not suggesting it is easy or for every-
one) than being one’s own boss, of forming
one’s own company, even a company of one.
Perhaps some of us are being given a crash
course in empowerment.
I thank the Board for their candid views, an
honest look at the deficiencies and some models
for all of us to study. The challenge for each of
us is to keep our eyes on the vision of empower-
ment and to seek out the opportunities for self-
empowerment each day.
Reference
1 Bach, R., Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant
Messiah, Delacorte Press, New York, NY, p. 46.