Handout 5

Question 1

It is a management approach wherein decision-making is shared with the subordinates

Answer 1

Employee Empowerment

Question 2

It pertains to an organizational state where employees are given the responsibility to make improvements and the authority to make changes in the organization.

Answer 2

Employee Empowerment

Question 3

An empowered employee is attentive to details, efficient, and self confident since s/he doesn’t need to stop working and consult a manager every time a decision must be made.

Answer 3

Improved Work Outcomes.

Question 4

An empowered employee finds his/her job satisfying since s/he has a voice in the execution of his/her tasks.

Answer 4

Increased Employee Satisfaction

Question 5

Empowering employees improves employee retention resulting to lesser cost incurred by the organization in terms of recruiting, hiring, and training of new employees

Answer 5

Cost Benefits.

Question 6

Empowering employees provides opportunities for the employees to develop their skills and take on greater challenges and roles in the organization.

Answer 6

Career Development.

Question 7

Employees always resist change and even positive change can be uncomfortable for employees because it involves a new unfamiliar territory.

Answer 7

Resistance from employees and unions.

Question 8

Managers may feel insecure because they perceive that full implementation of employee empowerment will diminish their power as the boss

Answer 8

Resistance from management

Question 9

A manager consistently supports empowerment programs and reinforces them in tangible ways.

Answer 9

Commitment

Question 10

A manager promotes empowerment by being a consistent role model, mentor, and trainer.

Answer 10

Leadership

Question 11

A manager constantly monitors employees to ensure that they are being empowered and acts quickly on employee recommendations.

Answer 11

Facilitation

Question 12

The process requires managers to serve as facilitators in drawing out recommendations from group members

Answer 12

Brainstorming

Question 13

It is a sophisticated form of brainstorming involving five (5) steps.

Answer 13

Nominal Group Technique.

Question 14

It is a group of employees that meets regularly for the purpose of identifying, recommending, and making workplace improvements.

Answer 14

Quality Circles

Question 15

This involves placing of vessels in convenient locations into which employees may put written suggestions for the process improvement of the organization.

Answer 15

Suggestion Boxes.

Question 16

It requires managers to simply walk around the workplace and solicit inputs or suggestions from the employees for the process improvement of the organization.

Answer 16

Walking and Talking.

Question 17

Empowered employees face ambiguous situations by taking the initiative to define the problem, consider alternative solutions, and move ahead with a solution rather than wait for an order from the management to do so.

Answer 17

Waiting to be told versus taking the initiative.

Question 18

Empowered employees treat problems as opportunities for improvement, learning, and professional growth rather than complain about the problem and do nothing.

Answer 18

Seeing only problems versus seeing opportunities

Question 19

Empowered employees apply logic, use reasoning, and apply their experience to challenge assumptions rather than accept an input without analyzation.

Answer 19

Accepting input at face value versus thinking critically.

Question 20

Empowered employees take the initiative to propose for solutions rather than pass the ball to the management to make decisions.

Answer 20

Pass decisions up the line versus building consensus for solutions

Question 21

Managers must establish a certain level of boundary or limitation to the employees in applying the concepts of empowerment

Answer 21

Unclear meaning of empowerment

Question 22

Managers must provide training for all the employees in the aspect of critical thinking and good decision-making.

Answer 22

Lack of training of the employees

Question 23

Managers must extend patience in the implementation of empowerment since employees need time to develop their skills, attitudes, and perspectives in an empowered way.

Answer 23

Lack of patience in the implementation of empowerment