Files and links (2)
Managing empowerment - adjusting organisational units' autonomy to achieve corporate agility442.89 kB
Accepted VersionCC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Managing empowerment: adjusting organisational units' autonomy to achieve corporate agility
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, Vol.10(4), pp.527-545
2023
Abstract
Purpose: Empowerment is recognised as being a key to achieving organisational agility. Typically associated with a particular leadership style, implications of empowerment for management have remained vague in the literature. Thus, this study aims at unpacking the facets and mechanisms of empowerment in the context of organisational units (OUs). Design/methodology/approach: First, the authors review the extant literature and discuss the crucial concepts in the context empowerment. Then, the authors analyse qualitative data from interviews conducted in four research and development (R&D) departments in the industrial manufacturing industry. Findings: This study finds that the empowerment of business entities is crucial when operating in turbulent conditions. However, empowerment must be accompanied by a clear focus when aiming at higher agile performance. Moreover, different autonomy types and their interplay with critical factors of middle management empowerment could be identified. The research results also reveal important details about the effects of autonomy on motivation and performance and the role of OUs' dependencies. Practical implications: The model proposed in this paper can help senior and middle managers better manage the empowerment of OUs required to enhance middle management agility and, in turn, increase overall organisational adaptability. Originality/value: Beyond regarding empowerment as a leadership style, this paper takes a middle management perspective and unfolds the facets of empowerment in the context of OUs. Adding to the theory of self-organisation, a model is proposed to capture the key factors to determine and manage the autonomy of OUs. These insights are essential to managing autonomy successfully at the middle management level.
Details
- Title
- Managing empowerment: adjusting organisational units' autonomy to achieve corporate agility
- Authors
- Joachim Kahl (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesSaskia de Klerk (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australian Centre for Pacific Islands ResearchJohn Whiteoak (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative Industries
- Publication details
- Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, Vol.10(4), pp.527-545
- Publisher
- Emerald Publishing Limited
- Date published
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.1108/JOEPP-05-2022-0126
- ISSN
- 2051-6622; 2051-6614
- Organisation Unit
- School of Business and Creative Industries; Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering; Faculty of Arts, Business and Law; Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99728798502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
197 File views/ downloads
126 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Management
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites