Preparing Students for the Empowered Workplace

Abstract

Empowerment of workers has been occurring for a number of years in a high percentage of international business organizations. This shift of decision-making from upper-level management to the workers themselves has created a demand for entry-level employees who are familiar and comfortable with working in an empowered environment. Although college classrooms play a major role in employee preparation, the traditional classroom structure continues to reinforce a dependent, rather than interdependent or empowered, attitude toward authority. Student-centered instruction, however, not only encourages a deeper understanding of subject matter, it also allows students an opportunity to experience the empowerment they will need later in their careers. This article describes a qualitative study of the challenges related to restructuring a management classroom in which students experience firsthand the effects of empowerment. The evidence from student comments and researcher observation indicates that perseverance through the negative reactions to change and feelings of abandonment results in students’ increased feelings of personal power, control and self-awareness.