I met a colleague at the University campus, just as I was about to go in to teach. After initial greetings were over, he congratulated me on my book being published and asked: ‘Rozana, what made you write the second book on empowerment’? Once a researcher, always a researcher, I thought John is forever asking questions. But, how else will a researcher find answers, except by asking questions! I didn’t have a lot of time to explain as I was due to start my class and I really do not like to keep my students waiting. So, I said I will send him an email.
That evening, when I came home I remembered I must write to John.
People write for different reasons, they are motivated by different things. What was the motivation for me to write my second book on employee empowerment? I began to think. After several years of research, interviewing and writing up my thesis, did I not feel like taking a break from this subject? Why did I jump into writing again, and as John mentioned my ‘second book’!
For me, the reason and the motivation to write is simple. I love to write – there is definitely a ‘passion’ inside me for writing. Not just academic writing, but poetry, Haiku, short stories – I love to write. But, the fire for the motivation to write this particular book on ‘The Psychology of Employee Empowerment’ came from the findings of my research.
My case study organisations were winners of European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Award. I felt privileged and honoured that the CEOs of these organisations were willing their people to be interviewed for my PhD research with regards to employee empowerment, based on the framework of EFQM.
It was exciting preparing for the pre-interviews and setting up times and dates with the HR people. It was an amazing feeling for me directly listening to people’s experiences of employee empowerment. One thing is worth noting, people were not afraid to talk about their feelings and opinions.
There were times when I was in the posh board rooms interviewing senior management, other times I was on the factory floor. I heard what people said from ‘Board room to the factory floor’. I wrote down what they said; they shared their feelings, emotionally people were sometimes angry, at times they were happy. People told me how employee empowerment impacted on their psychology, on their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy. My findings were significant! This was the gathering of knowledge over six years. It definitely needed to be shared! Furthermore, this knowledge needs to be connected to other information that is out there with regards to EFQM.
There is information and statistics available for bench marking, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility, critical success factors, key performance indicators and so on. But, there is very little information with regards to the psychological implications of employee empowerment. Research also indicates innovation and creativity are connected with employee empowerment. Hence, it is vital that due regard be given to the psychological implications, as is evident from my research that there are positive and negative psychological implications of employee empowerment on employees’ locus of control, self-confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy.
It is indeed through sharing of knowledge, the contribution to learning and best practice can be enhanced.
Hence, I felt motivated to write my second book John, it is a great platform for me to share knowledge. Yes, that was the motivation, sharing knowledge!
There is happiness in sharing knowledge. Share with people something you read, or heard on the radio or may be someone talked at a seminar or conference. You never know how useful it can be to someone who really needs it, and people can use the knowledge in a positive way. Sometimes, people are grateful and do come back and thank you for that. I find that a humbling experience!
Thank you for reading, until the next Huq Post …
© Dr Rozana Huq, October 2015
Organisational Behaviourist, Motivational Speaker, Management Author, Leadership Educator and Coach.
http://www.rozanahuq.com
One-to-one Leadership Coaching available with Dr Rozana Huq
Books written by Dr Rozana Huq
Book: “Employee Empowerment the rhetoric & reality”, (2010). Triarchy Press, Devon, UK.
Book review:
Dr Huq offers practical advice on how to implement and sustain employee empowerment in management practices. This book will be of value not only to academics, but also to practitioners of both small and large enterprises who may wish to implement or improve employee empowerment.
Professor Adrian Wilkinson, Director, Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.
Book: “The Psychology of Employee Empowerment. Concepts, Critical Themes and a Framework for Implementation”, (2015). Gower Publishing Ltd., UK.
Book review:
Understanding, and effectively managing, the relationship between Empowerment and Leadership is one of the central issues of our time. Dr Huq’s research and analysis not only makes an important scholarly contribution to the theory of the subject but, in her well-presented and readable book, she makes invaluable suggestions on the critical area of the practice of employee empowerment. All individuals with leadership roles urgently need to rethink their ideas, roles and behaviours within Dr Huq’s insightful “Framework for Implementing Employee Empowerment Model”.
Professor Bruce Lloyd, London South Bank University, UK.