ABSTRACT
Provided that it is done properly, employee and manager empowerment can help generate employee commitment, flexibility and authority to make decisions, and meet customer service needs in a controlled manner. This chapter outlines the approach and shows how a manager can both empower the staff and benefit from being self-empowered. The key claims for empowerment are based on criticisms of traditional organisations of the type that we have called ‘branded hospitality services’, that is, organisations which include control one or more major hospitality brands and operate through many local sites. Three different approaches to controlling employees can be matched against different management and team leadership styles, classically known as: directive, consultative, and participative. Autonomous work groups are groups of employees who work together without the immediate direction of a supervisor or manager. Job enrichment shares many benefits with autonomous work groups, though the initiative is aimed at individuals and not the group.
