Abstract
Empowerment has received much attention in the management literature over the last decades. How can leaders foster employees’ feelings of empowerment? This dissertation uses an integrative approach to empowerment – which includes both structural and psychological empowerment – in order to explore how leaders can promote empowerment. Furthermore, when examining the relationship between leadership and empowerment, it focuses on two leadership approaches: transactional leadership and transformational leadership. In terms of empowerment initiatives, these two approaches are argued to have different strengths, and should be viewed as complementary. When wanting to foster employees’ feelings of empowerment, leaders should focus on four aspects that combine structural and psychological empowerment: a clear vision and challenge, openness and teamwork, discipline and control, and support and a sense of security. These will be enhanced further if leaders also emphasis the following three factors: the flow of information, the leader’s empowerment and individual consideration. Furthermore, this dissertation emphasises that empowerment is more complex than commonly presumed, that different people will have different needs when it comes to empowerment, and that there is no quick fix when leaders want to empower their employees.