Woodworth & Baines is a retail chain that has taken up numerous measures to improve employee attitude, motivation, and organizational performance. New training programs, employee engagement initiatives, and an employee welfare council were the three main strategies implemented as part of the employee empowerment program. Norman Kilner was one of twenty employees nominated to the employee welfare council where they were required to interact with the management to promote the interests of the employees. Additionally, the job roles of these twenty employees were vertically enhanced to give them more autonomy in the organization. However, six months into the employee empowerment program, a survey by HR revealed no actual change in employee attitudes. Similarly, a survey conducted by the production manager revealed that work productivity had not increased by any substantial measure either. Which of the following, if true, would best explain this outcome?
A) Management retained the degree of control they had in the organizational affairs.
B) Management implemented a 360-degree feedback system for performance appraisals.
C) The company moved from a merit-based to a piece-rate pay system in the last quarters.
D) The employees performed poorly because of the lack of training and development programs.
E) Management strengthened the regulations relating to employee absenteeism in this period.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The implementation of the employee empowerment program did not result in actual change in employee attitudes and work productivity because management retained the degree of control they had in the organizational affairs. Despite the implementation of new initiatives and strategies, the management did not share power and control with the employees, which was the fundamental objective of the program. Hence, employee attitudes and work productivity did not improve.

Woodworth & Baines Is a Retail Chain That Has Taken