CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction. Empowerment is the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes. Central to this process are actions which both build individual and collective assets, and improve the efficiency and fairness of the organizational and institutional context which govern the use of these assets. Delegation involves .General: Grant of authority by one party (the delegator) to another (the delegate) for agreed purpose(s). Under the legal concept of vicarious liability, the delegator remains responsible for the delegate' sacts or omissions in carrying out the purpose of the delegation. Agency: Transfer of an agent's right to act for the principal (such as from a contractor to a sub-contractor) that can take place only  with the permission of the principal, where it is customary, or  where it is necessary for the performance of the entrusted duty..Management: Sharing or transfer of authority and the associated responsibility, from an employer or superior (who has the right to delegate) to an employee subordinate.Delegation occurs when someone with authority confers upon another person the power to do a particular task. Delegation is usually a one-way street - superiors delegate authority to subordinates. However, ultimate responsibility for task completion usually remains the responsibility of the person who delegated the authority to complete it. For example, if your boss delegates a task to you, she is likely still ultimately responsible for making sure that task is accomplished. To delegate means to choose or elect a person to act as a representative for another. To empower someone means to give power or authority to someone else. Do you hear the difference? To delegate something to someone is to only give them enough leash to act on your behalf, as you would for yourself. To empower another means you give them enough power and authority to act on their own behalf. This is not good versus bad. There is a proper time for delegation. I can think of two: when someone is truly new to the ways of leadership and in times of crisis. When someone is cutting their teeth on leadership then you want to teach them how to handle responsibility. It is the principle of seeing if they will be faithful in little so that they might grow into being faithful with much. In times of crisis, there needs to be an authoritative decision maker and those who are willing to simply carry out those decisions to meet the critical need of the moment. But these two scenarios leave a lot of opportunity for empowerment. In my mind there are three critical aspects to empowerment. To truly empower someone you must grant them authority, you must give them proper resources, and you must hold them accountable to organizational values and principles. They have to have enough authority to make some significant and important decisions. You have to give power away. They have to have resources that are truly theirs to steward. People, money, and tools. Yet it is not a free for all. There should be an accountable aspect that helps them stay within the playing field of organizational boundaries. You tell them the “what” but the “how” is left up to them. They have to have enough of all three things to truly have the freedom to fail on their own efforts–and learn. While there is a proper time for both things I am pushing the action point towards empowerment. Here are some reasons why: Delegation largely raises up followers-empowerment raises up leaders. Delegation is less work for you in the short run-empowerment is more work for you in the short run. Delegation is more work for you in the long run-empowerment is less work for you in the long run. Delegation keeps you in the center of leadership activity-empowerment places someone else at the center of leadership activity. Delegation ensures that you are your own leadership legacy, for good or for bad. Empowerment ensures that more leaders are your leadership legacy, which is almost always good. The research therefore seek to evaluate the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee moral and productivity 

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Delegation occurs when someone with authority confers upon another person the power to do a particular task. Delegation is usually a one-way street - superiors delegate authority to subordinates. However, ultimate responsibility for task completion usually remains the responsibility of the person who delegated the authority to complete it. For example, if your boss delegates a task to you, she is likely still ultimately responsible for making sure that task is accomplished .Empowerment is a management practice of sharing information, rewards, and power with employees so that they can take initiative and make decisions to solve problems and improve service and performance. Empowerment is based on the idea that giving employees skills, resources, authority, opportunity, motivation, as well holding them responsible and accountable for outcomes of their actions, will contribute to their competence and satisfaction. The notion is that whether it is empowerment or delegation the employee are given the opportunity to take responsibilities and participate in matters affecting them such as goal setting ,decision making, program planning etc. It gives them a sense of commitment and being wanted, moreover it gives them the opportunity to explore problems and offer solutions, builds their capacity and sense of maturity. However many organization do not view empowerment and delegation as vital tool in organizational development and progress. The result is that employees remain stagnant, immature and unable to take initiative when their immediate boss is not around The employee productivity level is affected. Therefore the problem confronting this research is an assessment of the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity with a case study of Julius Berger Plc. 

1.3        RESEARCH   QUESTIONS 

1.     What is the nature of empowerment and delegation? 

2.     What is the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity? 

3.     What is the impact of empowerment and delegation on employee morale and productivity in Julius Berger Plc?