ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the value of employee participation, involvement and empowerment in creating a motivated and productive workforce. These concepts are becoming central to the development of SHRM because they help to breach the gap between the aims of organisations and those of employees. They are also central to many managerial initiatives that are currently being advocated as leading-edge practice within the construction industry – for example partnering, teamworking, value engineering, TQM, risk management and an improved customer focus. While the project-based nature of construction activity inherently demands the devolvement of decision-making responsibility from central decisionmakers, the level of true participation, involvement and empowerment is limited, particularly at project level. This chapter explores these concepts in detail and argues that they are an important part of any effective SHRM strategy.
