Empowerment in an executive agency? A grass‐roots assessment of strategic intent
International Journal of Public Sector Management
ISSN: 0951-3558
Article publication date: 1 November 1998
Abstract
Empowerment has been described as providing local management with a clear framework within which to manage, with the maximum devolution of responsibility and with the skills and confidence to accept it. Despite their wide adoption there is a dearth of research which elevates the voice of those on the receiving‐end of such empowering strategies, especially as applied in public sector organisations. This paper examines the impact of a five‐year empowerment programme, as perceived by the managers and staff within a “Next Steps” agency. Based on individual and group interviews with 75 staff, it is found that the programme is associated with a number of new working practices and a shift in management attitudes but the extent to which these are experienced as empowering varies considerably.
Keywords
Citation
Mabey, C. and Skinner, D. (1998), "Empowerment in an executive agency? A grass‐roots assessment of strategic intent", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 11 No. 6, pp. 494-508. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513559810246381
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 1998, MCB UP Limited