Delegation & Empowerment - Annotated Bibliography Example

? Delegation & Empowerment Literature Review: Annotated Bibliography Liberty Annotated Bibliography Curtis, E., & Nicoll, H. (2004). Delegation: A Key Function of Nursing. Nursing Management, 11(4), pp. 26-31. Curtis and Nicoll have managed to discuss delegation and employee empowerment as a key attribute of effective leadership. They have discussed various theories of effective leadership and have used works of other scholars to emphasize on the importance of delegation in an environment where team works is an essential element. Following the outcomes of these theories, they have presented an easy step-by-step guide of effective delegation, whilst discussing benefits of delegation and empowerment for delegators and delegtees. They have also mentioned the factors that can hinder the effectiveness of delegation process and the importance of delegation in organizational settings. Curtis and Nicoll are both highly learned and well-educated lecturers at the school of nursing and midwifery studies, Trinity College, University of Dublin. The work that they have presented mainly address registered nurses and importance of delegation for nurses however that discussion is only limited to the introduction part and rest of it is rather generalized, which can interest any regular reader. This peer-reviewed article will help in understanding the fundamental concepts of delegation and the factors affecting the personnel involved along with the process of delegation, itself. The article further outlines the basic concepts and general layout of the delegation process which will help in understanding the dynamics of this phenomenon. Swarnalatha, C., & Prasanna,T.S. (2012). A Study On Employee Empowerment To Motivate The Employees In Healthcare Industry In A Private Multi-Specialty Organization. Asian Journal Of Management Research, 3(1), pp. 107-115. Swarnalatha is a professor and Head of Management Studies at Anna University of Technology India. Given his position, it can be assumed that he is well-versed with the concept of management sciences underlying the principles of empowerment and delegation. On the other hand, Prasanna is a full time management scholar, associated with the same university and has written several articles on HRM related topics. The article itself sheds light on the importance of delegation and empowerment in today’s organizations. The article asserts that given today’s delayered organizational structure, managers are required to ensure that employees are provided with necessary knowledge and authority to perform the tasks assigned with them effectively. Swarnalatha and Prasanna have discussed the approaches to empowerment of employees along with conditions necessary for empowerment. One positive attribute of this article is discussion regarding the role of organizational structure and policies in employees’ empowerment in the process of delegation. The research has thus moved its focus from personnel to organization which makes it address the holistic dimensions of this process. At the end, the article discussed process and advantages of empowerment at length. Hoch, J., White, K., Starkey, C., & Krause, B.A. (2009). Delegation and Empowerment in CAATE Accredited Athletic Training Education Programs. Athletic Training Education Journal, 4, pp. 139-43. The research contains a quantitative analysis along with theoretical discussion regarding delegation and empowerment of department heads, in this case, program directors. The research helps in identifying the possible reasons behind managers choosing to delegate or not delegate some of their tasks to their juniors. Except Hoch, all the other researchers are PhDs and have authored other articles on the similar subjects. Where other articles were helpful in having literary information about established theories, this research helps in understanding practical implications of these theories. The research has two dimensions. At one end, it sheds light on the program directors/ managers perspective and also identifies responses of clinical education coordinators/ employees when tasks are delegated to them along with their needs while performing those tasks effectively. Therefore, the research helps in understanding the related dynamics of the processes of delegation and empowerment. However, the research is mainly concerned with athletic training programs therefore generalization of this research in other settings can be limited. Furthermore, there is a limited theoretical discussion about the outcomes of the research. However, the research helps in identifying the organizational dynamics that can affect employees and managers’ behavior and their approach towards delegation. Erstad, M. (1997). Empowerment And Organizational Change. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 9(7), pp. 325–333. Margaret Erstad was the research manager of Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Trends, a journal meant for outlining the challenges faced by tourism industry. The article itself discusses themes underlying articles published during the period of 1994-96. The article discusses the implications of changes in organizational culture on empowerment within organizations. A critical analysis of this article indicated that it explains the impacts on management’s objectives and policies once employee empowerment becomes part of organization’s strategic objectives. The research also mentioned impacts of employee empowerment on their productivity and training needs. The article provided a cursory view of articles published in the selected period and identified their subthemes. A cumulative analysis of these articles helps in listing down major themes identified. The article is particularly helpful in understanding the empowerment techniques that may comply with organizational dynamics and management’s vision. This article can be helpful in adding another dimension to the research by discussing role of management and their approach towards employees’ participation and entrepreneurship. Glor, E. (2001). Ideas for Enhancing Employee Empowerment in the Government of Canada Optimum. The Journal of Public Sector Management, 30(3), pp. 14-26. Eleanor Glor is a retired public servant and has worked for several public offices at federal and regional levels. Having worked for around three decades in these roles, she has authored several books and journals about organizational processes and culture in public organizations. Most of these works are concerned with innovation and restructuring required in public offices. The research is based on survey conducted by Canadian government regarding employee empowerment and their related satisfaction. Glor has discussed the theoretical concepts behind the processes of employee empowerment. One important element that she has discussed is importance of empowerment in making the process of delegation successful and effective. The research is particularly helpful in discussing the causes underlying disempowerment in employees. The research further discusses various models that can be helpful in empowering federal employees and also discusses their individual feasibility along with providing assessment mechanism for identifying the outcomes of employee empowerment. Since the research is solely based on government agencies and departments therefore it can be helpful in giving this study a multifaceted outlook. However, the same aspect is a weakness of this research. This is so because the study only reflects the dynamics of public departments which differ greatly from private organizations. Similarly, the national context of the research may also limit its applicability. Sengul, M., Gimeno, J., & Dial, J. (2012). Strategic Delegation : A Review, Theoretical Integration, and Research Agenda. Journal of Management, 38(1), pp. 375-414. The authors of this article are professors in their respective universities and have conducted several management related researches that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. The article has shared many insights about strategic delegation and its role in organizational management. The fundamental principles underlying strategic delegation stress on delegation of decision making and their respective outcomes on employees’ effectiveness and efficiency. The authors have managed to provide several theoretical approaches of strategic delegation and have then extended this approach to strategic management and organizational theory. This research can be particularly helpful in understanding the dynamics of strategic delegation and its role in formation of effective management control systems. Furthermore, this article greatly emphasizes on using strategic delegation as a competitive advantage. This research is particularly important for future studies due to discussion involving impacts of external factors i.e. rivals and competitors on firm’s strategy and its delegation decisions. Where other studies will be helpful in understanding the reciprocation between a manager and an employee during the process of delegation, this research extends the scope of this study to external forces having an impact on an organization’s performance. Ongori, H. (2008). Managing Behind the Scenes: A View Point on Employee Empowerment. African Journal of Business Management, 3(1), pp. 9-15. The author of this research paper is a lecturer in Botswana University and has authored several management-based articles that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. The research has focused greatly on importance of employee empowerment in the 21st century. With world turning into a global village during past few decades, it has become important for organizations to not only retain potential talent but also utilize the processes of delegation and empowerment for gaining competitive edge over other firms. The research paper discusses various theories related to employee empowerment and developing strategies that would help organizations in empowering their employees which would further help them in retaining best talent. The author has discussed theories entailing employee’s, organization’s and psychological perspectives governing employee empowerment through job involvement. This research can be taken as a key guideline for managers to develop policies, strategies and frameworks that would enable them to delegate more and empower their employees which increase their efficiency and effectiveness in a managerial role. This research can be helpful while drafting recommendations part entailing suitable strategies that would make processes of empowerment and delegation more effective. Shekari, H., Rabiee, A., Afshari, M.A., & Ahani, M. (2011). Using Effective Factors in Employees Empowerment of Industrial Organizations with Analytic Network Approach (ANP) Case Study: Textile Factories of Qom Province. International Journal of Business Administration, 2(3), pp. 160-9. Out of four authors, Shekari and Rabiee are professors whereas other two have Masters Degree in Management sciences. The research emphasizes on importance of employee education and empowerment on organizational efficiency and also gaining competitive advantage. The authors have given a rather unknown dimension to the earlier studies conducted in the subject matter. Where earlier researches were more oriented towards empowering employees in order to motivate and retain them, this research helps in illustrating that empowering employees can be an effective tool in exploiting employees’ talent that can benefit organizations at the end. The research further stresses on delegating decisions making power to the right person at right level and making them accountable for their decisions. The research is based on interviews conducted from the employees of an industrial unit and the examination of underlying common themes in these interviews. The research can be helpful in illustrating the view points of the employees of industrial organizations. It is important to note that many industries i.e. services, hospitality, apparel etc., can have a different culture altogether. Therefore, in order to present a research that is applicable at a greater population, it is important that the research addresses multifaceted questions. Sahoo, C.K., & Das, S. (2011). Employee Empowerment: A Strategy towards Workplace Commitment. European Journal of Business and Management, 3(11), pp. 46-54. Sahoo and Das are both Masters in Business Management from different universities in India. They have written several peer-reviewed articles on different topics related to HRM and organizational management. The research stresses that employee empowerment is a byproduct of complete synch between different components of an organization ranging from people to technology, reward system and even the organizational structure. The authors claim that it is important for organizations to engage employees through employee empowerment as individual commitment and dedication to work as a team member can help in achievements of organizational goals. In order to make this point clear, the authors have discussed various theories concerning employee empowerment, proactive management practices, factors affecting employee empowerment and strategic employee empowerment. The research will help in providing theoretical support in order establish a relationship between employee empowerment and workplace and organizational commitment. Thani, F.N., & Mokhtarian, F. (2012). Effective Factors on Psychological Empowerment. Case Study: Service organization. International Proceedings of Economics Development & Research, 47, pp. 101-6. Thani and Mokhtarian are associated with education administration in University of Tehran. They have authored several articles regarding services gaps in university settings that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. This research is concerned with discussion of factors affecting psychological empowerment of employees in services industry. The research was a quantitative one and had various statistical tools used for data manipulation. The findings of the research explained that various social, economic even cultural factors like rewards systems, performance evaluation, access to resource and emotional stimulation play a vital role in employee empowerment as a result of authority delegation. An important finding was lack of significant differences in the findings due to gender and ranks. The research is helpful in outlining the factors that affect the psychological dynamics underlying the process of empowerment and delegation. It helps in understanding how various external factors play a decisive role in calculating success of employee empowerment. Yukl, G.A. & Becker, W.S. (2006). Effective Empowerment in Organizations. Organization Management Journal, 3(3), pp. 210-31. Yukl is a professor at Albany University and has written many books, articles, and research papers on leadership, management and organizational behavior. On the other hand, Wendy S. Becker is associated with Shippensburg University and has also written several books and articles on the similar topics as Yukl. Yukl and Becker have discussed several classic and contemporary theories related to employee management and their relationship to the phenomenon of employee empowerment. While discussing psychological elements affecting employee empowerment, Yukl and Becker have discussed the importance of job satisfaction and intrinsic awards at length. Other elements like organizational structure, culture, employee empowerment values and leadership selection along with their impact on employee morale are also discussed at length. Second and third parts of the research discuss the importance of these theories on employee empowerment programs like self-managed teams, employee stocks programs etc. The study is highly helpful for the current research and it outlines fundamental theoretical concepts governing employee empowerment. On the other hand, it also explains how these theories are practically reflected in various contemporary organizational strategies. Webb, R. (2007). Delegation: Burden or Empowerment?. Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, 30(3), pp. 35-41. Webb has authored many journal articles in past two decades. She mainly relates to the field of education and has written articles pertaining to strategies that can not only enhance teachers’ potential but can also benefit educational institutions in devising strategies that can be helpful in maximizing teachers’ efficiency and effectiveness. Through this research, Webb asserts that where delegation is a common phenomenon in today’s organizational settings, quality of training, mentoring and feedback provided by managers and senior employees can play a vital role in increasing the efficiency of this overall process. Although the research is based on educational environment settings however the outcomes are rather generic and can be applied in other fields as well. For this research, Webb’s work can be of fundamental importance as it has highlighted the factors that are governed management’s behavior and vision and have a direct impact on the success of the process of delegation. Wilson, J. (2009). The Art of Delegation and Empowering Others, PT in Motion, 1(3), p.10. The article discussed some examples of delegation pitfalls while elaborating the implications of this process on managers and employees. According to Wilson, the process of delegation and empowerment has repercussion for both managers as well as followers. Where managers tend to get relief from some of their work load, get an opportunity to gain trust of their subordinates and also learn from their mistakes, empowerment helps the subordinates to build their talent, develop leadership and decision making skills and also learn from their past experiences. Hence, the article provides a long-term view of the overall dynamics of delegation and empowerment. This article is important in defining how process of delegation affects managers and what should managers do delegate effectively while averting risks and maintain controls. The research is also helpful in defining how subordinates can benefit from empowerment. McConalogue, T. (1993). Real Delegation: The Art of Hanging on and Letting Go. Management Decision, 31(1). McConalogue has authored several books as Dealing with Change: Lessons from Irish Managers. Tom McConalogue has a PhD in Organizational Change from Bath University and runs programmes at IMI in time management, communications and management of change. He consults to Irish organizations in managing organizational improvements and change. The article stresses on the importance of delegation and empowerment for organizational success. While doing so, the author mentions that with the changing dynamics of the corporate world, it is becoming more and more important for managers to delegate routine tasks more and more while saving their talent and energy for the high-priority tasks. Hence, learning to delegate and empower simultaneously is a skill that needs to be learned and developed over the period of time. The article further defines a difference between delegating work and delegating responsibility and suggests the techniques through which effective empowerment can be achieved. The article is particularly helpful in understanding why learning to delegate is important for them. Furthermore, it also highlights the importance of concurrent empowerment in order make delegation meaningful. The research basically defines the benefits of delegation and empowerment for the management and how it can help them to focus on their priorities while letting go of the day-to-day tasks. Kahreh, M.S., Ahmadi, H., & Hashemi, A. (2011). Achieving Competitive Advantage Through Empowering Employees: An Empirical Study. Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, 3(2), pp. 26-37. Kahreh is a PhD candidate of strategic management and is also a faculty of management at the University of Teheran, Ahmadi has done MPA and is a faculty of management at the same university. Unlike the other authors, Hashemi is an expert of research and risks at SINA bank of Tehran. Like other sources, the authors have made their research based on the classic and contemporary management theories concerning the process of empowerment and delegation. However, they have focused on identifying the role of employee empowerment on organizations gaining competitive advantage. For this purpose, opinions of experts from the financial industry are taken and data is used to examine how employee empowerment can help an organization to be efficient, innovative and responsive. The results of the research indicated that employee empowerment is positively related to organization’s success and elated competitive advantage. The research is important in developing a direct relationship between changes in employees’ empowerment level and the extent of organization’s competitive advantage. Read More