I J C R B Employee Empowerment and Job Satisfaction: A Study of The Employees in The Food Manufacturing Sector in Zimbabwe

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS
DECEMBER 2011
VOL 3, NO 8
Employee Empowerment and Job Satisfaction: A Study of the

Employees in the Food Manufacturing Sector in Zimbabwe
Zuvarashe Judith Mushipe (PhD)
Assistant Professor, ST Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Florida, USA
Abstract
This study is based on the Zimbabwe employee involvement model that focuses on three
areas which are decision-making, information-sharing and power sharing. The model was
initiated in the country in the 1980s as a way of empowering employees in different
companies in the land. Government initiated the model as a way of addressing the inevitable
change in the business environment. The study carried out in the Food Manufacturing Sector
argues that involving employees in decision-making, information-sharing and power sharing
results into the employees experiencing job satisfaction. The study is in a case study format
was carried out in four different companies in Zimbabwe. After experiencing a number of
obstacles data was obtained and analyzed. The results indicated a positive relationship
between employee involvement and job satisfaction.
Key words: Employee Empowerment, Employee involvement, Change, Resistance to
change, Job Satisfaction.
Introduction
Research Objective
The research objective is to establish the impact of employee
empowerment/involvement or lack of it on employee job satisfaction. The construct
of employee empowerment/involvement is broken down to include decision-making,
information sharing and power sharing.
Propositions
Proposition 1: Decision-making is positively associated with job satisfaction.
Proposition 2: Information sharing results in job satisfaction
Proposition 3: Power sharing results in job satisfaction
Need for Change
In the 1980s the Zimbabwe Government initiated an empowerment model that
recommended employee involvement in the general running of the organizations they worked
for. This was a way of addressing the changes that were taking place in the general business
environment. The empowerment model conceived under the umbrella of the Labour Act
included some aspects of the workers committees and works councils.
COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research
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Change is necessitated by the escalating development of global markets, increasing

rapid changes in work technologies, shifting workforce and customer demographics, and
increased emphasis on quality, productivity, customer satisfaction and flexibility in products
and services (Hammuda and Dulaimi, 1997). The driving forces for change are well known:
new technology, new types of competition, economic uncertainty, evolving customer needs,
deregulation, globalization and fragmentation of markets. So many factors argue for change
that to not change is to assure obsolescence (Lawler 111, 1991). Subsequently, given the
changes in the environment, the need to change the way organizations conduct business has
never been greater.
Literature has it that the environment people work in can shape their attitudes and
behaviour in either positive or negative ways; and that being the case an understanding of
how individuals in organizations are influenced by the organizational context becomes
imperative (Robertson, 1994). As Bayat (1991) observes human beings as history has
repeatedly shown, tend to develop a strong desire to exercise control over their own lives, and
by the same token to reject attempts by other humans to restrict their freedom.
Employee Involvement
Empirical research has recommended empowerment as a change strategy that

will align organizations with the changes in the environment (Nykodym, Simonetti,
Nielsen and Welling, 1994; Alkahtani, 2000; Des and Peken, 2000). Employee
empowerment here refers to sharing of information among individuals who are
otherwise hierarchically unequal (Locke and Schweiger, 1979; Wagner, 1994; Hickey
and Casner- Lotto 1998), the involvement of employees in decision-making
(Nykodym et al., 1994; Cotton, 1988) and sharing of power (Pun, Chin and Gill,
2001). At the same time Johnson and Thurston (1997), give examples of TRW,
Hercules, Whirlpool and McClanahan Book Companies as organizations that have
realized organizational benefits from their empowerment initiatives.
Contextualization of employee involvement
In this study employee involvement is synonymous to worker- participation in
decision-making, information sharing and power sharing and that is also generally
equated to employee empowerment. The three aspects of employee involvement
address how one perceives his/her total work situation to be an important part of his
life and central to him / her and his/her identity because of the opportunity it (the
work situation) affords him/her to meet important needs. Central to that definition is
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the notion of the opportunity to meet important needs. For someone to feel that
opportunity they need to have power to participate in decision- making and
information to make informed decisions. However, decision-making, informationsharing and power sharing are very much intricately interlinked. The components are
further explained for a better understanding of each construct.
Different attributes of the constructs of employee involvement discussed in this study
are decision-making, information sharing and power sharing.
Decision-making
Planning daily
activities
Setting targets
Setting policies and
procedures
Using personal
judgment
(a)
Information
sharing
Team work
Suggestion boxes
Feedback
Consultation with
supervisor
Power sharing
Ownership programs
Labor-management
partnerships
Profit sharing
(b)
(c)
Literature Review
Employee involvement or empowerment is a complex concept; it tends to
mean different things to different people. According to Nielsen and Pedersen, (2001),
employee empowerment as defined by (McClelland, 1975; Conger and Kanungo,
1988) may be seen as part of the broader concept of employee involvement which
also includes participative management (Lawler et al., 1992; Cummings and
Worley, 1997) job enrichment (Hackman and Oldham, 1980),
and industrial
democracy (Poole, 1986. The term empowerment is elastic and so it is not always
clear what it means in different organizations (Wilkinson1998; Dainty, et al, 2002).
Notions of empowerment are derived from theories of participative management and
employee involvement (Spreitzer, Kizilos and Nason, 1997). The theories of participative
management advocate that managers share decision- making power with employees to
enhance performance and work satisfaction (Wagner111, 1994). Lawler 111, (1991) on the
other hand argues that employee involvement emphasizes cascading power, information,
rewards, and training to the lowest level possible in the organizational hierarchy to increase
worker discretion. As it turns out employee involvement is a multidimensional concept.
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However, in this study employee involvement is about decision-making, information sharing

and power sharing.
Some researchers have also equated it to decision-making. For example Nykodym et
al., (1994) posit that employee empowerment or participative decision-making is neither a
new or simple management concept; while Bowen and Lawler, (1992) point out that
empowerment enables employees to make decisions and Pastor (1996) emphasizes the taking
of responsibility for decisions made. From a mechanist or top-down approach, employee
involvement is about delegation and accountability (Quinn and Spreitzer, 1999). Collins
(1996) argues that that is a narrow definition of empowerment since it hinges more on
accountability than any wider change in the process of work and decision-making which
might be implied by a more active modeling of empowerment.
According to Olshfski and Cunningham (1998), empowerment is about delegation or
sharing of power, authority or responsibility by those in the organizational structure to those
lower levels of the organization. This in essence is the process of decentralizing decisionmaking in an organization where managers give more discretion and autonomy to the front.line managers. Wagner 111, (1994) calls it a process in which influence is shared among
individuals who are otherwise hierarchically unequal. Collins (1995) sees that as a limiting
type of empowerment as at the end of it, the workers are empowered only in the sense that
they have a greater responsibility to act within a narrow sphere and then held accountable for
their limited action.
Hickey and Casner-Lotto (1998:58) state that empowerment is about delegating
directly to non-management employees a significant amount of decision-making authority
commonly reserved for managers. They further argue that a truly participative organization is
characterized by work systems that are structured to make employee involvement ongoing.
This is what Estad (1997) refers to as the involvement of everyone, including both
management and employees, that results into the disappearance of boundaries between formal
and informal leader to that of an inclusive organization where there are leaders of leaders.
At that level everyone in the organization feels empowered. That kind of participatory
management practice in a way balances the involvement of managers and their subordinates
in information sharing, decision-making or problem solving endeavors (Wagner 111, 1994).
However, (Hammuda and Dulaimi, 1997) posit that empowerment is not meant to be a
delegation revisited, but rather a wider meaning of employees controlling their own destinies.
Conger and Kanungo (1988), define empowerment as a process of enhancing feelings
of self-efficacy among organizational members through the identification of conditions that
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foster powerlessness and through their removal by both formal organizational practices and
informal techniques of providing efficacy information. Brewer (1994), lending support to
Conger and Kanungos definition, posits that empowerment entails suggestion involvement
that culminates into suggestion schemes, quality circles and job involvement where
employees are in control of their jobs by designing job content.
Collins, (1995) argues that democratic empowerment, represents a much more active,
or activist model of empowerment that is representative of a process whereby workers gain or
assume power and represent a process in which workers act with a greater grasp and sense of
their own powers. Consequently, empowerment only truly occurs when workers actively
take the initiative and attempt to wrest control from managers (ibid).
Pun, Chin and Gill, (2001) points out that empowerment is a process whereby
employees are taking part or having shares in managerial decision - making. They further
point out that true involvement draws people on the hierarchy up to the levels above them and
then shares the power that is available. They however, point out that many conventional
managers would see employee involvement as the giving away of control since true
involvement draws people lower on the hierarchy up to the levels above them and then shares
the power that is available. Most definitions of empowerment refer to some aspect of controlcontrol over decision making, control over work processes, control over performance goals
and measurement, and /or control over other people (Howard and Foster, 1999).
Ford and Fottler, (1995) emphasize that the empowerment process

necessitates the sharing of information and knowledge necessary to enable
employees to contribute to organizational performance. At the same time Bluestone
and Bluestone (1997) posits that participation turns out to work best when it is
organized jointly between union and management and when workers have a voice
independent from management that cannot be unilaterally stifled. Obviously, the
transfer of power and decision making authority, are at the centre of the
empowerment process. As Gilbert (1991) puts it, empowerment is about trust, and
most importantly it is about accountability. On the other hand Johnson and Thurston
(1997), adopted a thematic definition after their study of Multicorp, and decided to
define empowerment in the context of authority, control and trust.
Taking a holistic approach to defining employee involvement, Kinlaw (1996) points
out that it is the process of achieving continuous improvement in an organizations
performance by developing and extending the competent influence of individuals and teams
over the areas and functions that affect their performance and that of the total organization.
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He adds that empowerment also requires structural and systematic changes in the
organization, like shortening the lines of communication and modifying reward systems.
As can be derived from the above definitions, empowerment has been glorified as a
splendid (Olshfski and Cunningham, 1998). The linking thread in the employee involvement
concept is the encouragement of employees including management to utilize their skills and
experience by giving them power to use more judgment and discretion in their work. Simply
put it is the involvement of employees in decision- making, information sharing and power
sharing.
Decision Making
Making decisions closer to the point at which they are actually carried out has
advantages and provide economic motivations (Malone, 1997). At the same time people are
more energetic and creative if they have autonomy in both how they work and what they do
(ibid). In the empowerment models they advanced, Nykodym et al., (1994) and Cotton,
(1988), emphasized decision-making as a major determinant of participation. Dainty et al.,
(2002); Ford and Fottler (1997), posit that genuine empowerment is likely to include
decision-making authority over not just job content, but job context as well.
Information sharing
Marketers define information sharing as internal marketing or two- way

communication (Davis 2001). Under such conditions, employees are listened to and
encouraged to provide their input and ideas. Ideally, much more information should
be shared with employees. The intent is to find out what employees think and want, so
programs can be adapted based on the employees input (ibid).
Information is at the very core of what makes a group of people an
organization (Lawler 111, 1991). Apparently, information has been identified as a
source of power and effectiveness in organizational co-ordination and cooperation;
and without it, employee participation and involvement become impractical and
dangerous (ibid). Moreover, decision-makers frequently have access to information
that helps them make good decisions (Malone, 1997).
The empowerment process necessitates the sharing of information and
knowledge to enable employees to contribute to organizational performance (Ford and
Fottler, 1995). In support of Ford and Fottler, Hammuda and Dulaimi (1997) argue
that part of the empowerment program is to provide the necessary information for
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employees to enable them to perform their jobs autonomously and effectively.

Consequently, sharing of information is important as it enables individuals to make
informed decisions. British Gas implemented an employee suggestion program which
resulted in the company realizing positive results (Estad, 1997).
Power Sharing
In this study power sharing is the same as authority. According to Websters College
dictionary authority is the power to settle issues. The workers in the Zimbabwe firms are
empowered by having a say in the running of the organization through the workers
committees, works council, employee ownership and profit sharing schemes. Paul, Niehoff
and Tromley, (2000), point out that suggestion systems, gain sharing plans and quality circles
are part of parallel suggestion involvement. The schemes are also in tandem with Conger and
Kanungos (1988) assertion that the empowerment process enhances feelings of self-efficacy
among organizational members through the identification of conditions that foster
powerlessness and through their removal by both formal organizational practices and informal
techniques of providing efficacy information.
Pun, Chin and Gill (2001) argue that true involvement draws people on the
hierarchy up to the level above them and then share the power that is available.
Olshfski and Cunningham, (1998) also point out that empowerment involves the
sharing of power, authority or responsibility by those in the organizational structure to
those lower levels of the organization. Changes in ownership, such as employee stock
ownership plans, and changes in reward systems, such as profit sharing and gain
sharing are attempts to involve employees in organizational decision-making (Paul et
al., 2000). Employee ownership tends to increase workers desire for control and the
ownership rights may include the rights to information, decision-making and in
general, increased participation (Bartkus, 1997)
Outcome of Employee Empowerment
According to the research question the outcome of employee involvement is job
satisfaction. Employee empowerment has been contextualized to include decisionmaking, information sharing and power sharing.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction is an area that has been well researched in the industrial and
organizational psychology literature. However, it is a concept that is still surrounded
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by controversy because much of the literature is inconclusive in nature Morgan et.

al,(1995).
Defining job satisfaction is problematic since it has been considered in a variety of
ways, and defined differently in various studies (Lam, Zhang and Baum, 2000). They further
argue that if there is consensus about job satisfaction, it is the verbal expression of an
incumbents evaluation of his/her job. The popular definition that has been made reference to
in the literature is that advanced by Locke, (1976). He defined the concept of job satisfaction
as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job
experiences. Locke further argues that the satisfaction is achieved when one realizes ones
important job values provided these are congruent with or help to fulfill ones basic needs.
The values or conditions conducive to job satisfaction are:
Mentally challenging work which the individual can cope successfully
Personal interest in the work itself
Work that is not too physically tiring
Rewards for performance that are just, informative and in line with the
individuals personal aspirations
Working conditions that are compatible with the individuals physical

needs and that facilitate the accomplishment of his work
High self esteem on the part of the employee
Agents in the work place who help the employee to attain job values such
as interesting work, pay and promotions, whose basic values are similar to
his own, and who minimize role conflict and ambiguity.
Lockes definition in this case incorporates both Maslows (1954) hierarchy of

human needs and Hertzbergs (1960, 1976) two- factor theory. However the list of
values reads more like a long shopping list that is also cosmetic in nature because at the
end of it all it is rather difficult to understand what job satisfaction really means.
However, the majority of researchers have defined job satisfaction based on Lockes
(1976) definition. For example (Lam, Baum and Pine, 2001; Schwepker Jr. (2001);
Lam, Zhang and Baum (2000); Testa, (1999); and Weiss, (1976); Kalleberg, 1977;
Locke, 1976; Smith, Kendall and Hulin, (1969) and Currivan, (1999), defined job
satisfaction as the degree of positive emotions an employee has toward a work role.
Robbins and Coulter (1996); Currivan, (1999) highlighting the attitudinal nature of the
construct stated that job satisfaction is an employees general attitude towards his or her
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job. Spector (1997 simply defined job satisfaction as the feeling people have about their
jobs and different aspects of their jobs. He concludes by saying that it is an attitudinal
variable.
A few studies on job satisfaction have tried to define it slightly differently. For
example (Currivan, 1999) defined job satisfaction just as an employee attitude or
orientation; and Spector (1997) posits that the attitudinal perspective has become the
predominant one in the study of job satisfaction. Ivancevich, et al., (1997), also defined
job satisfaction as an attitude that individuals have about their jobs; which results from
their perception of their jobs and the degree to which there is a good fit between the
individual and the organization.
Schwepker, (2001), argued that job satisfaction may be both intrinsic
and extrinsic. Internally, satisfaction is derived from mediated rewards such as the job
itself and opportunities for personal growth and accomplishment. Externally,
satisfaction is derived from mediated rewards such as satisfaction with pay, company
policies and support, supervision, fellow workers, chances for promotion and
customers. On the other hand McGue and Gianakis (1997), define job satisfaction by
conceptualizing it. They highlight the elements of job satisfaction that include the actual
work and its outcomes, or intrinsic job satisfaction pay, benefits and other rewards
directly associated with doing the work, or extrinsic job satisfaction. Included also is the
environment in which the work is done, including relations with coworkers,
organizational culture, the organizations policies and procedures, participation in
decision making, involvement with the organization, and job status. That definition
encompasses almost every theme that describes employees attitudes.
The thread that runs through the different authors definitions is that of
attitudes, orientation and the fact that job satisfaction may be intrinsic and extrinsic.
Based on the definitions, it appears that the employee involvement program in this
study has both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. The decision-making and information
sharing through the workers committees, team briefing system are intrinsic while profitsharing; and employee shares are extrinsic.
Employee involvement and Job Satisfaction
As it turns out, the assessment of employee attitudes such as job satisfaction has
become a common activity in organizations in which management is concerned with the
physical and psychological wellbeing of people (Spector, 1997). Rosenberg (2009) also
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amplifies the importance of employee involvement when she cited resource-transformation as

the movement of information rather than materials within an organization. Akbar, Yousaf,
Haq and Hunjira(2011) in their empirical research assessing the impact of employee
empowerment and job satisfaction found a positive relationship between the two.
Nykodym, Simonetti, Nielsen and Welling (1994) assert that even the earliest
research findings suggested that great potential existed for improving job satisfaction
and performance through the use of worker participation as could be seen through
Japans quality circles. Results from some studies showed a positive correlation
between job satisfaction and consultative participation (ibid). Some researchers also
found a positive relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction. For example
Rinehart and Short (1994) found a strong and positive relationship between
empowerment and job satisfaction. Dennis (1999) also found a strong relationship
between the variables of employee involvement and job satisfaction in his search for
factors influencing job satisfaction in the prison environment.
Some interesting positive links between employee involvement and job
satisfaction have been found in the nursing field. For example, Kanter (1993) in her
studies argued that in nursing, empowerment has been shown to predict important
organizational outcomes, such as trust in management, perceived control over
nursing, organizational commitment and job satisfaction.
Nykodym, et al.1994) assert that participation causes greater job satisfaction
because the employee feels more valued and trusted by management and because the
worker gains a better understanding of management difficulties by dealing with some
of the same problems. A positive correlation between job satisfaction and consultative
participation was demonstrated in six different areas: participation in work decision,
consultative participation, short-term participation, informal participation, employee
ownership, and representative participation.
At the same time a positive relation was also found between informal
participation and job satisfaction and employee ownership and participation. The
relation between representative participation and job satisfaction was found to be
positive for at least the representatives. However the relation between work decisions
and job satisfaction was found to be positive among supervisors and management.
That type of an analogy is in line with the Zimbabwean empowerment model that has
all the types of participation as outlined by Nykodym at al., 1994). Finn, (2001) also
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highlighted the link between autonomy and job satisfaction established during a
physicians strike in Israel. Nurses were forced into a full autonomous practice to
provide primary care and 31 percent of the nurses reported a significant increase in
job satisfaction due to the increased autonomy.
Equating an Employee to a Customer
Borrowing literature from the marketing discipline, an employee can be

equated to a customer to show the importance of job satisfaction. Rust, Stewart,
Miller and Pielack (1996) equate an employee to a customer since both have needs
and wants that have to be satisfied. Customer needs and wants are satisfied when they
perceive goods and services to have value that meet or exceed their expectations
(ibid). By the same token, employee needs and wants are satisfied when they perceive
that they are empowered by the organization in the form of information sharing,
decision-making and power sharing.
Davis (2001), pointing at the link between information and job satisfaction,
highlights the example of Sears Roebuck that is investing in rewarding managers who
improve employee satisfaction levels by consulting the employees. Again the
examples that come out of the literature are from western countries only and nothing
from the third world let alone Zimbabwe. In this study job satisfaction is
conceptualized as the degree of positive emotions an employee has toward a work
role (Kalleberg, 1977; Locke, 1976; Smith, Kendall, and Hulin, 1969; Currivan,
2000). Put simply, it is the degree to which people like their jobs (Spector, 1997).
Conclusion on Literature Review
What comes out of the literature reviewed is that empowerment is about

participative decision-making or autonomy. Participative decision-making is a
situation in which decisions pertaining to activities are arrived at, by the very persons
who are to execute those decisions (Hammuda and Dulaimi, (1997). At the same time
there is the notion of information sharing. Part of the empowerment program is to
provide the necessary information for employees to enable them to perform their jobs
autonomously and effectively (ibid). There is also the sharing of power, authority or
responsibility in this whole empowerment exercise. Ford and Fottler (1997), and
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Dainty et al., (2002), posit that genuine empowerment is likely to include decisionmaking authority over not just job content but job context as well.
Forrester (2000) argues that to understand empowerment requires
understanding what power is. Power as defined by Luke (1974) in Forrester (2000) is
the capacity to obtain the results one wants. Power is further defined by (Pfeiffer,
1981; Kotter, 1976; McClelland and Burnham, 1976), as the ability of those who
possess power to bring about the outcomes they desire or ability to get ones way. In
organizational change it is necessary that the employees possess power to bring about
the outcomes they desire. That empowerment is achieved through employees
participation in decision-making, information sharing and power sharing. Arthur
(1994) also argues that, although there is growing evidence that managers
involvement in lower echelon employees is necessary in todays business
environment, many managers are hesitant to involve lower echelon employees
because of the fear of losing control (ibid). That then calls for an element of trust on
the part of management. From the literature it has been established that empowerment
is linked to job satisfaction.
METHODOLOGY
This section of the study narrates the information gathering process
undertaken in this study. The research question was is there a link between employee
involvement and job satisfaction? The purpose of the inquiry was exploratory and
was meant to find out what was happening in different companies and to seek new
insights to the concept of employee involvement. Remenyi, et al., (1998) observe that
there are at least three major philosophical questions that should be addressed at the
outset of the research. The questions are: why research, what to research and how to
research? In order to address the questions, propositions that show the relationship
between employee involvement and the construct of job satisfaction was formulated.
The proposition is that employee involvement/empowerment results into job
satisfaction.
Research Methods
The qualitative research method employed was two-pronged. It embraced the
case study and survey strategies. The combination of survey and case studies (both
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institutional and individual) provides useful complementary information giving

valuable insights into the issue (Robson, 2001).
Case Study Approach
The case study approach was used to identify the objects of study in the
manufacturing industry. Although the case study approach should not be equated to
qualitative study per se, the majority of case studies build on qualitative data since
that makes it possible to examine complex and rich phenomena (Huemer 1998). At
the same time the use of cases is advocated from a positivistic, realist and naturalistic
point of view (Easton, 1995; Eisenhardt 1989, Lincoln and Guba1985 cited by
Bryman, 1995). According to Yin (1994) case studies are the preferred strategy when
how and why questions are being posed, when the investigator has little control
over events, and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon with some reallife context. Stake (2000) emphasized the case study approach as an early step in
theory building. When using that method, research is conducted through an intense
and/or prolonged contact with a field or life situation (Amaratunga et al., 2002).
The research problem that addresses the influence of employee involvement on the
construct of job satisfaction is more of a social nature since it encroaches on issues of
work life.
Survey Approach
The use of the survey method became imperative when access was denied to
interviewing the lower level employees. At that stage a questionnaire had to be
designed targeted at the other employees besides the key informants.
Sampling
Mwanje and Gotu (2001) argue that sampling rather than complete
enumeration becomes useful in terms of time, cost and available resources and
practicability. The choice of the industry was influenced by the size of the sector. The
manufacturing industry is the 3rd largest contributor to the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) after agriculture and the distribution, hotels and restaurant industry (Central
Statistics Office, 2002). It also has the largest number of blue- collar employees. At
the time of the research there were forty-eight (48) registered companies which
employed about eighteen thousand (18 000) employees. The four companies that
formed the sample employed a total of two thousand four hundred and sixty-two (2
462) employees amongst themselves and that was about fifteen percent (15%) of the
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work force in the entire industry. The companies have been operating in the country
for at least 30 years. These companies understood the political/economic situation
better especially after going through the era of the liberation struggle, and the
Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP) era.
Sampling Design
Stratified random sampling was used in all four organizations. The employees
were stratified according to their hierarchical levels, which are top, middle and low
level, but questionnaires were only given to low level employees, since that was more
in line with the research question.
Sample Size of low level Participants

CO.#1
CO # 2
35
35
CO # 3
35
CO # 4
35
Total
140
FINDINGS
The researcher used the information from the lower level respondents since that
addressed the research question. The data was all lumped together since the same
questionnaire was administered to all respondents in all four companies.
Decision-Making and Job Satisfaction
The proposition being advanced in this section is that employee involvement
through decision-making results into job satisfaction. The descriptive data are given in
the form of tables and graphs and not put in the appendices as recommended by
Saunders et al (1997). The attributes of decision- making highlighted are depicted in
Table 1 below.
Decision-making and Job Satisfaction

Satisfied
(Percent)
Planning daily activities
Setting own targets
Setting procedures
Direct influence on work
Use of personal judgment
Completion of work/ Multi skilling
75
75
66
71
71
62
Not satisfied
(Percent)
25
25
34
29
29
38
Number of
respondents
98
97
98
98
100
98
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Conclusion on decision-making
Decision-making is an intrinsic motivator under Hertzbergs two factor motivation
theory. The whole concept of decision-making and job satisfaction can be equated to
the principle of job design, whose primary motive is to raise morale of employees. Job
design entails job enrichment and job enlargement, which in this case are realized in
different forms of decision- making as depicted in Table 1 above. Decision-making
enhances self- actualization, which is the highest need on Maslows hierarchy of
needs theory. That feeling culminates in meaningfulness of the job and brings about a
sense of responsibility on the part of the individual (Hackman and Oldham 1975,
1980 in Burke 1987). The latitude given to employees to make decisions is a positive
reinforce (Skinner 1953, 1971) as evidenced by the positive job satisfaction.
Gould (1996) regards employee involvement to be a transformation strategy
that delegates decision-making to the shop floor of the organization and it engenders a
sense of process ownership among workers. Bowler and Lawler (1992) argue that
employee involvement enables employees to make decisions with the individuals
taking responsibility for their actions. In essence Organizational Development focuses
on change that will more fully integrate individual needs with organizational
effectiveness through better utilization of resources, especially human resources, and
change that will provide more involvement of organization members in the decisions
that directly affect them and their working conditions (Burke, 1987).
In this era of globalization and information technology it becomes imperative
to involve employees in decision-making. Organizations with highly involved
employees can certainly have a competitive advantage over those with less involved
employees (Alkahtani, 2000). At the same time the empowered manager is
distinguished from the competent traditional manager by breaking the rules and by
asking for forgiveness rather than for permission (Quinn, et al 1996).
Information Sharing and job satisfaction
The proposition advanced in this section is that information sharing through
team-work, availability of suggestion boxes and receiving feedback on ones
performance results into job satisfaction.
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Information sharing and Job Satisfaction
Teamwork
Use of suggestion boxes
Feedback from management
Management consulting with subordinate
Agree
Disagree
No of
(Percent)
71
35
71
73
(Percent)
29
65
29
27
respondents
100
100
100
100
The results in Table 2 above show that most employees got job satisfaction
from information sharing in their organizations. The Labor Act that recommends
establishment of structures such as the workers committees, representation through
the trade unions, Works Councils, collective bargaining and the Tripartite Negotiating
Forum facilitated information sharing. Besides, the organizations had other homegrown programs that encouraged information sharing such as the tombola game,
sunrise project and padare. In that respect the employees felt committed to their
organizations due to information sharing as they worked in teams. McClelland (1961
in Kreitner and Kinicki, (1998) equated teamwork to socialized power (s Pwr).
In the same vein, information sharing is seen as empowering by Hicky and
Casner-Lotto (1998) in their Participation, Achievement, and Reward (PAR) Model
that encourages team based work and labour management partnerships. Integration of
technology and people and communication and information sharing in general are
also contributory to job satisfaction. Hammuda and Dulaimi (1997) argue that
information for employees enables them to perform their jobs autonomously and
effectively. On the other hand Laschinger and Wong, (1999) also report that factors
such as access to information have a major influence on employees ability to get
work done.
Information sharing should be taken seriously since it plays an important role
in overcoming resistance to change. This is at the centre of the whole exercise of
aligning organizations with the changing environment. Change is associated with
uncertainties and by making information available, trust is built. As observed by Kets
de Vries and Balazs (1999) leaders driving change effort need to empower their
subordinates by sharing information fully, avoiding secrecy and delegating
responsibility. That aspect of avoiding secrecy is addressed by the legal structures
such as the Labour Act and its many provisions. According to Lawler 111 (1991)
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information is at the very core of the development of an organization and is

fundamental for its success.
Power Sharing and job satisfaction
The proposition advanced in this section is that power sharing leads to job
satisfaction. Empowerment is realised through power sharing in general, employee
ownership programmes, labour- management partnership and profit sharing. In other
words power sharing can be tangible and intangible in nature.
Power sharing and job satisfaction
Power sharing in general

Employee Ownership Programmes
Labour Management Partnership
Profit Sharing
Satisfied
(Percent)
51
34
34
30
Dissatisfied No of
(Percent)
respondents
49
98
66
96
66
96
70
96
The results in Table 3 above show that most of the employees were not
satisfied by the level of power sharing in their organizations. This was despite the fact
that companies, as per the findings, had indicated that they had expanded the
empowerment model from decision-making and information sharing to include power
sharing. Power sharing in the form of share ownership has always been a major
problem in organizations. Subsequently, Government came up with a number of
policies to address the issue of power sharing. The policies include Growth with
equity, indigenization, and employee share ownership plans.
McClelland (1961 in Kreiner and Kinicki 1998) argues that there are basically
two types of power; the socialized power (s Pwr) and personalized power (n Pwr) and
the two have some influence on power sharing. Naturally, the owners of capital have a
high need for power which is characterized by the if I win you lose. From the
results, the organizations seemed oblivious of the fact that empowerment involves the
sharing of power, authority and responsibility by everyone in the organizational
structure (Olshfski and Cunningham 1998).
However, it is also natural that many conventional managers would see
employee involvement as giving away control to workers at lower levels (Pun, Chin
and Gill 2001). Such managers find it difficult to share power with subordinates
because of the desire to control. Besides, there is just too much at stake such as the
34
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DECEMBER 2011
VOL 3, NO 8
need for control, recognition needs and security, thus managers hold on to power
(Forester, 2000).
CONCLUSION
The general conclusion in this research is that employee involvement in
decision making and information sharing results in job satisfaction. On the other hand
power sharing as part of employee involvement was found not to be positively linked
to job satisfaction; the reason being that power sharing was rarely practiced in the
organizations studied.
Decision-making
The study showed that participation in decision-making is positively linked to
job satisfaction. Decision-making is a very important aspect of empowerment. It
embraces a number of areas such as self-governance, freedom and self-control. In this
study it embraced such attributes as individuals involvement in setting own targets
and use of personal judgment among others. That aspect of involvement enhances the
individual employees self- actualization. At the same time decision-making as an
empowerment strategy engenders process ownership among workers and that can
result in competitive advantage over other organizations that do not involve
employees. Employee involvement brings about a sense of belonging and that
psychological bond ties the employee to the organization.
Information sharing
The study showed a positive link between information sharing and job
satisfaction. Information sharing facilitates the whole empowerment exercise in a
number of ways. For example it is of paramount importance in overcoming resistance
to change. In this study the Labor Act played a pivotal role in the provision of
information and the establishment of workplace democracy. Management taking
cognizance of the importance of information sharing promoted teamwork in their
firms to the extent of coming up with new programs as the Sunrise Project, Tombola
and Padare.
Information sharing is the epitome of teamwork and it encompasses feedback.
The importance of feedback is to find out what employees think and want so
programs can be adapted based on the employee input. Information- sharing in a
changing business environment such as the one experienced in Zimbabwe is of
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DECEMBER 2011
VOL 3, NO 8
paramount importance. Organisations have to align themselves with the changes by

keeping their fingers on the pulse of the changing environment. Suggestion boxes as
information sharing tool may sound trivial, but to the workers that was something
within their reach. However, management did not seem to take that information
seriously and that obviously, had a negative impact on employees.
Power -sharing
When asked about power sharing in general a positive relationship between
power sharing and job satisfaction appeared, but by a very narrow margin. When it
came to the specifics of power sharing, no association was established between power
sharing and job satisfaction. That was attributed to the natural mistrust between labor
and management and the fact that many conventional managers would see employee
involvement as giving away control to workers at low levels. The major bone of
contention was the ownership programs and the profit sharing schemes. Organizations
seemed not to be aware of the strength of empowerment to those at the lower levels of
the hierarch. Power sharing is supposed to empower workers and enhance feelings of
self-efficacy. Identification and removal of conditions that render organizational
members powerless is an essential part of the process and that was found to be lacking
in this study.
Naturally, power is difficult to share with subordinates and it becomes more
problematic when it involves the owners of capital and the workers. The Zimbabwean
situation is worsened by the fact that the majority of the business enterprises are
multinationals who symbolize classic capitalism, where workers are separated from
ownership and control of the means of production. However, separation of workers
and capital results in critical conflict of interests and that must be addressed if the
firms are to remain dynamically competitive.
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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Employee Empowerment and Job Satisfaction: A Study of the

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Change is necessitated by the escalating development of global markets, increasing

Empirical research has recommended empowerment as a change strategy that

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

However, in this study employee involvement is about decision-making, information sharing

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Ford and Fottler, (1995) emphasize that the empowerment process

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Marketers define information sharing as internal marketing or two- way

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

employees to enable them to perform their jobs autonomously and effectively.

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

by controversy because much of the literature is inconclusive in nature Morgan et.

Mentally challenging work which the individual can cope successfully

Personal interest in the work itself

Work that is not too physically tiring

Working conditions that are compatible with the individuals physical

High self esteem on the part of the employee

Lockes definition in this case incorporates both Maslows (1954) hierarchy of

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

amplifies the importance of employee involvement when she cited resource-transformation as

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Borrowing literature from the marketing discipline, an employee can be

What comes out of the literature reviewed is that empowerment is about

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

institutional and individual) provides useful complementary information giving

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Sample Size of low level Participants

Decision-making and Job Satisfaction

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

Information sharing and Job Satisfaction

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

information is at the very core of the development of an organization and is

Power sharing in general

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INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

paramount importance. Organisations have to align themselves with the changes by

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research

INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN BUSINESS

COPY RIGHT 2011 Institute of Interdisciplinary Business Research