Empowerment in Organizations
Developing an Empowering Culture in Organizations
Bruce Nixon

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Bruce Nixon, (1994),"Developing an Empowering Culture in Organizations", Empowerment in Organizations, Vol. 2 Iss 1 pp.
14 - 24
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Linda Honold, (1997),"A review of the literature on employee empowerment", Empowerment in Organizations, Vol. 5 Iss 4 pp. 202-212 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14634449710195471
Nick Nykodym, Jack L. Simonetti, Warren R. Nielsen, Barbara Welling, (1994),"Employee Empowerment", Empowerment in
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Developing an Empowering
Culture in Organizations
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Bruce Nixon

The Need for an Empowering Culture in Organizations

albeit with difficulty. It is both exciting and, at times, daunting.
The expectation that “super-leaders” will somehow solve our problems seems increasingly inappropriate. Instead, in this situation, organizations need to learn how to release the creative energies, intelligence and initiative of people at every level. They also need to learn how to respect difference and unite people so that they are able to work more successfully together to achieve common purposes and solve problems. (The reality is that we find all these things difficult.) The organizations that do so are far more likely to survive and prosper. They will also be attractive to the ablest people and have the best relationships with their customers. A new culture is needed in organizations. It is as if people are fighting a war on two fronts. On the one hand they are trying to respond appropriately to the challenges described above; on the other they are handicapped by inappropriate and irrational behavior within the organization – often worse when the challenges are greatest.

Most organizations and the people in them face uncertainty, change and huge pressures.
Among the factors affecting them are: the demand for greater quality and value (more for less); increasing globalization of the economy and intensifying competition; increasing levels of technology; the decline of many traditional industries including defence; the emergence of Pacific Asia as the center of economic growth; growing