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Running head: EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 1
Effects of Influential Leadership and Empowerment on Employee Satisfaction
______________________________________
A Paper Presented to
The Faculty of the Adler Graduate School
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Degree of Masters of Arts in
Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy Emphasis in
Management Consulting and Organizational Leadership (MCOL)
______________________________________
Presented By
Sally Nash
June, 2011
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 2
Abstract
Successful organizations are ones whose employees are satisfied in their work, and therefore are
willing to satisfy their organization. Employees are satisfied when they are managed by
influential leaders who empower them to go above and beyond the set expectations. This project
examines how influential leadership and empowerment affect employee satisfaction. Through
working with TCF bank Call Center, this researcher was able to observe the negative effects of
low employee retention and a lack of engagement on the overall performance of the
organization. This researcher saw that personality and communication assessments were vital to
the hiring process along with a revision of the qualifications of the ideal candidate for each
position in the Call Center. By using effective leadership styles, empowering employees, and
assuring job satisfaction through more accurate job placement, the TCF bank Call Center will
transform into an effective and healthy organization.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 3
Acknowledgements
To my beloved motherland, Libya, for making me who I am today.
To my wonderful parents, to whom I will be forever grateful.
To Dr. Premo, who encouraged me through most of my educational journey.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract 2
Acknowledgements 3
Table of Contents 4
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
a. Introduction to the Organization 5
b. Statement of the Problem 6
c. Purpose of the Study 7
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
a. Introduction 8
b. Influential Leadership Styles 9
c. Employees Satisfaction 15
d. Empowerment Processes and Benefits 19
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
a. Project Description 26
b. Project Mechanisms 28
c. Project Development 42
CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
a. Summary 44
b. Conclusion 46
APPENDIX A: TCF Career Path: Call Center Operations 49
REFERENCES 50
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 5
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction to the Organization
TCF Financial Corporation, a financial holding company that compares itself to large
successful retailers instead of other banks, operates the fourth largest supermarket branch system
in the United States. TCF is a Wayzata, Minnesota-based national bank holding company with
$18.3 billion in total assets and has 442 banking offices in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan,
Colorado, Wisconsin, Indiana, Arizona and South Dakota. The corporation provides retail and
commercial banking services, mortgage banking, discount brokerage, investments and insurance
sales through various affiliates. TCF also conducts commercial leasing and equipment finance
business in all 50 states and commercial inventory finance business in the U.S. and Canada,
(TCF Bank, 2011).
TCF is now the 11th
largest U.S. Visa® Classic debit card issuer ranked by sales volume.
The company markets itself aggressively to middle and lower income customers with products
such as Totally Free Checking accounts. In 2000, TCF surpassed $1 billion in supermarket
branch deposits. TCF continued to apply technology as a means to draw customers: phone cards
were introduced as part of a customer loyalty program and an Internet banking site was launched
in 2000. Meanwhile, TCF opened its one-millionth retail checking account. In other business
sectors, TCF both expanded and contracted in 1999. Additionally, TCF sold its title insurance
and appraisal operations and formed a strategic alliance with the buyer, (Funding Universe,
2002).
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 6
Statement of the Problem
As one of the most successful banking companies, TCF Call Center has several issues
that hinder the employees‟ persistence to work. Despite the company‟s magnificent success, it is
obvious there are some difficulties in keeping the employees for a longer time period while
maintaining a high quality of customer service. TCF Call Center is searching for effective and
realistic ways to assist the corporation and increase the employees‟ performance. One of their
main challenges is that they lack a definitive path, which prevents employees to develop in their
career.
The TCF Call Center needs to find ways to assess and update its current hiring
qualifications to maximize employee retention. This is the key factor in this project. Due to the
employees‟ low retention, it is tough to keep them socially engaged and interactive within their
work environment. Employees at the Call Center are only concerned with getting the job done;
therefore there is a great lack of communication between the different departments of the
corporation. This problem is directly related to the low retention levels of employees; when the
workers lack social interest, they are not as motivated to continue and perform well.
The corporation suffers from low employee engagement as a result of the limited
understanding of the employees‟ personalities and communication styles. Understanding each
employee‟s personality and quality is an essential element in order to hire the best candidates for
the appropriate position. Each individual‟s personality attributes can be used to solve problems
specific to a certain position, and when paired together, great levels of excellence and motivation
in performance can be expected. Overall, there is an essential need for long-term career plans
that can foster and sustain high levels of performance by employees as well as stability in their
suitable positions.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 7
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this project is to examine the effects of influential leadership and
empowerment on employee satisfaction. To inspect that relationship, a study of the hiring
process of the Call Center operations at TCF bank was done in order to assess and update its
current hiring qualifications, and to maximize employee retention. The company‟s most
important need is to have a valuable and useful process of hiring of its employees. This study
will focus on utilizing affordable and high quality personality tests that will help retain the top
employees and find applicable solutions to the employee turnover problem. The Basis-A
Communication Assessment and I-Speak Your Language Personality Test will be applied to
establish a fixed system of hiring by placing new employees in the best possible position based
on their skills and personality. Additionally, the key factor is to establish an annual review
process to measure staff performance and ensure that the Call Center‟s human resource trainers
continue to meet the bank‟s changing needs and goals.
The two assessments were used to create a focused job description for hiring. Using the
assessments enables the hiring staff to discover a profile to each candidate and offer a framework
for self-understanding and development. Creating a unique profile to each applicant is crucial to
placing her/him in the best position possible in order to be effective and produce to the maximum
of their abilities. It helps to identify the key areas in each candidate‟s personality and skills when
pairing them to a position in order to empower them to better respond to the demands of their
environment. In addition, developing effective strategies for communications between
employees will heighten their social interest while significantly enhancing their performance and
expectations.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Empowerment is a phenomenon that has significant effects in the work place
environment. It is a process that is used to empower employees, to improve individual and team
performance, and enhance their success and expectations. Empowerment tolerates employees for
high quality performance and expends their responsibility over their work. It enables employees
to reach their own potential in ways that help the team or organization to move forward. As
stated by (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006, p. 272), “Empowered employees have a high level
of competence in that they know what they are doing and are confident about getting their job
done.” Empowered employees are ones whose skills are well developed and therefore are more
capable of being productive and beneficial members to their organization. Furthermore, they are
more co nfident of making decisions and providing suggestions that will enhance overall
customer service. After all “almost every decision made in an organization has power
implications” (Sayles, 1989, p.112). In this manner, employees will be able to get the job done
satisfactorily and in a timely manner.
The significant issue that Wilson (2009) found in her previous research was that
“managers and supervisors hesitate to delegate to others because they perceive a lack of skill in
another team member, they fear making a mistake, or they are more comfortable „doing it
themselves‟ to retain control.” Unfortunately, leaders of most organizations find it difficult to
delegate certain jobs to followers because they have a profound fear of the consequences. They
are hesitant when it comes to giving employees the authority and accountability in their positions
in order to move the organization forward. Usually, leaders are uncomfortable sharing their
power with their followers as it often makes them feel incompetent and irresponsible. Quite
simply, and as stated by Wilson (2009) “a supervisor can leverage delegation to increase
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 9
motivation in others by providing them with a chance to take pride in the results of their own
decisions and to feel trusted and appreciated to contribute something of value in a different way.”
Not only will this research focus on the empowerment to increase employee satisfaction,
it will also examine the main styles of influential leadership. The first subject examines the main
styles of influential leadership, which include transformational and transactional leadership
styles. The second subject of focus includes the main elements that result in employee
satisfaction, such as motivation, rewards, and recognition. The third examined subject comprises
of empowerment, which include empowerment processes and benefits.
Influential Leadership Styles
According to (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2005, p. 123), “Leadership, the ability or
authority to guide and direct others toward achievement of a goal, has a significant impact on
ethical decision making because leaders have the power to motivate others and enforce the
organization‟s rules and policies as well as their own viewpoint.” A great leader has the
characteristic of empowering individuals who are performing inadequately to improve as well as
those who are performing highly to fully exceed their expectations. “In an empowered
organization the managers and supervisors take on a different role than they usually would in
most organizations. It may be obvious that one aspect of this role change is the sharing of power
and authority,” stated Fox (1998).
A good leader is someone who is able to move the center of his power from the
controlling sense to the transforming sense using their unique combination of qualities. Those
leaders develop the overall sense of accomplishment of their employees through empowering,
motivating, and guiding them. The leader‟s ultimate role is to emphasize and focus on training,
education, communicating, and leading rather than focusing on controlling and decision making
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 10
to help employees develop their levels of skill and confidence, and even maximize their full
potential.
There are many leadership styles that influence many aspects of organizations including
employees‟ acceptance of and devotion to organizational norms and values. As stated by
Carnegie (2009, p.30) “Leadership is about behavior first and skills second, and people respond
to leaders who inspire, trust, and respect, rather than to the skills they possess. Leaders‟
foundation contains qualities such as integrity, honesty, humility, courage, commitment,
sincerity, passion, confidence, wisdom, determination, compassion, sensitivity, and personal
charisma.”
The style of leadership can be viewed as a method of guidance through which the
followers are empowered to execute the organizational plans. Therefore, the different leadership
styles focus on building strong organizational values among employees and influences how they
perform. Some of the most common leadership styles are: transactional, and transformational.
Consistent with (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2005, p. 125) “The most successful leaders do not
rely on one style but alter their techniques based on the characteristics of the situation.” The
more leadership styles that an individual is able to master, the more qualified leader he/she will
become.
According to (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2005, p. 125), “transactional leadership style
attempts to create employee satisfaction through negotiating, and bartering for desired behaviors
of levels of performance.” Transactional leaders expect total compliance and diligence from their
followers and they, in return, take on the main organizational responsibilities of leading and
making decisions. “Transactional leadership occurred when leaders and followers were in some
type of exchange relationship in order to get needs met,” as indicated by (Hughes, Ginnett, &
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 11
Curphy, 2006, p. 407). Obviously, leaders are always seeking higher job standards and
organizational efficiency through aiming for high quality performance. However, transactional
leaders are occasionally focused on the individual satisfaction of team members, as their
principle aim is controlling the whole organization.
“Transactional leadership has been the traditional model of leadership with its roots from
an organizational or business perspective,” according to Bolden, Gosling, Marturano, &
Dennison (2003). This style of leadership is nothing but a mere process of control and
management through autocracy, rather than a democratic method of leading. They fundamental
point is gaining a higher level of effectiveness through sustaining structure and systems. In
addition, its focus is on achieving short-term plans rather than improvements for a brighter
future.
In their theoretical research, Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, (2006, p. 412) stated that
transactional leadership is believed to motivate followers by setting goals and promising rewards
for desired performance. They also said that transactional leadership only perpetuates the status
quo; a leader‟s use of rewards does not result in the long-term changes. The main focus of this
theory is a process of rewards if the employees are successful, and punishment if they are
failures. It is also illustrated by Bolden, Gosling, Marturano, & Dennison, (2003) that
transactional leadership theory comprise of “the relationship between leader and followers,
focusing on the mutual benefits […] through which the leader delivers such things as rewards or
recognition in return for the commitment or loyalty of the followers.” Carthen (2005, p.2)
effectively identifies the correlation between the contractual expectation of a leader and the
parallel expectation of the follower as transactional relationship.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 12
As stated by (Hellriegel, Jackson, & Slocum, 2005, p.434), “Transformational leaders
inspire others with their vision, often promote this vision over opposition, and demonstrate
confidence in themselves and their views.” In fact, a transformational leader is a trustworthy
individual who encourages employees to participate in making decisions and achieving the
overall vision. Consistent with (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006, p. 415), “Transformational
leaders build trust by showing commitment to followers‟ needs over self-interest, some
charismatic leaders are not beyond taking credit for others‟ accomplishments or exaggerating
their expertise.” They are trustworthy and honest in their relation with others; as a result
employees do not hesitate to follow that kind of leader.
Transformational leaders care about the needs of others and have a great capacity for
empathy, as stated by (Hellriegel, Jackson, & Slocum, 2005, p.437). In the process of
establishing a valuable relationship, empathy is a key ingredient as it builds a bridge of trust and
an emotional connection between parties. Moreover, empathy deepens the understanding
between people, making them closely related to each other. “Empathy creates a sense of
openness and an acceptance of all attitudes or emotions, it also keeps us from evaluating or
judging the other person, which blocks real communication, and that in turn, helps us respond
better,” as indicated by (Dean, 2006, p. 39- 40). Obviously, individuals who are naturally
empathetic are more easily able to build strong and meaningful relationships with others.
Therefore, it is evident that empathy is a powerful quality for leaders to posses as it can simply
enhance social connections and make people more caring about others‟ desires.
Leaders play a vital role in the lives of others due to their major influence on their
personal and professional development. As stated by (Stephen, 2007, p.22), “they demonstrate
willingness to sacrifice personal interests when necessary, they help others get through critical
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 13
crisis, and they do not just generate followers; their followers themselves become leaders.” With
the positive attitude of such leaders, they are able to shift their relationships with their followers
past the professional one, developing a more personal connection based on trust.
According to (Boone, 1991, p. 107), “communication is part of every leader‟s job, but
may or may not play a central role in one‟s leadership strategy, when it is critical, a leader must
strive to be clear, consistent, convincing, and far-reaching.” Transformational leaders seek a
more direct form of communication with others in order to understand different perspectives and
use them towards achieving organizational goals. They also teach followers how to become
leaders in their own right and motivate them to play active roles. “Transformational leaders
challenge followers to build on their vision by offering innovative solutions and new ideas as
said by (Hellriegel, Jackson, & Slocum, 2005, p.437), and they encourage positive thinking and
problem solving.”
“Transformational leadership is a process in which the leaders take actions to try to
increase their associates‟ awareness of what is right and important, to raise their associates‟
motivational maturity and to move their associates to go beyond their own self-interests for the
good of the group, the organization, and society” as stated by Bolden, Gosling, Marturano, &
Dennison, (2003). Those leaders are always seeking a way to make their followers feel powerful
and successful, despite their performance in the organizational setting. Taken as a whole, they
believe that empowering their followers will results in the enhancement of overall organizational
performance.
“The central concept here is change and the role of leadership in envisioning and
implementing the transformation of organizational performance,” said Bolden, Gosling,
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 14
Marturano, & Dennison, (2003) whose research also examined the discovery in which a
transformational leader can promote the follower, such as:
Expand a follower‟s portfolio of needs
Transform a follower‟s self-interest
Increase the confidence of followers
Elevate followers‟ expectations
Encourage behavioral change
Motivate others to higher levels of personal achievement
Both transactional and transformational leadership styles are needed in every
organization. The transactional leaders are people who make decisions and assure that work is
done efficiently and effectively. On the other hand, the transformational leaders are seeking a
more intimate relationship with their employees through deeper levels of communication and the
utilizations of various empowerment methods. Sharlow‟s (2007) theory states that people are
motivated by reward and punishment, meaning transactional leaders can motivate their followers
through the same notion. The transactional leader‟s work ethic enables him/her to reward his/her
employees once they master their responsibilities and tasks. Moreover, transactional leaders
focus on ensuring that required conduct and procedures are implemented, according to (Ferrell,
Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2005, p. 125).
Overall, good leaders use a combination of styles from time to time, depending on the
specific dynamics of the situations. In fact, the most successful leaders tend to have
characteristics of more than one leadership style, making them leaders of some of the highest
performing organizations where the employees are empowered and satisfied with their work.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 15
The more leadership styles that a leader is able to master, the better he/she will become.
Certainly the ability to switch between styles as situations warrant will result in superior results
and enhance workplace ambiance. In fact, leaders that are able to master more than one
leadership style often provide greater performance from their followers as well as a healthy
climate in which to work.
That being said, it is not easy to master multiple leadership styles. Leaders must be
flexible in learning new ways, letting go of old methods, and combining their skills. Learning a
new leadership style therefore takes practice and perseverance. The more often the new style or
behavior is repeated, the stronger the link becomes in our brains between the situation at hand
and the desired reaction.
Employees Satisfaction
In her research, Ellis (2003) found that “employee satisfaction is a measure of how happy
workers are with their job and working environment. Keeping morale high among workers can
be of tremendous benefit to any company, as happy workers will be more likely to produce more,
take fewer days off, and stay loyal to the company (p. 12).” Employees with higher job
satisfaction are more committed to their organization, care about the quality of their work, reach
above expectations, and have higher productivity. Therefore, empowered employees that have
the authority and responsibility to achieve objective are able to do the best they can at the
assigned task.
(Hellriegel, Jackson, & Slocum, 2005, p.38) clearly defined satisfaction “as a
psychological state that indicates how a person feels about his or her situation, based on an
evaluation of the situation, and employee motivation goes hand in hand with employee
satisfaction.” Job satisfaction is an encouraging view of an employee‟s senses of development
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 16
and accomplishment in their job. In other words, it is what Alfred Adler would define as the
basic human needs of significance, belonging, and safety. Indeed, employees stretch themselves
in order to attain those feelings and feeling satisfied in working at their organization. In a recent
study by Lambert et al. (2009) “Being successful in a job can result in a sense of pride and
accomplishment, and therefore increased job satisfaction. Similarly, it is easier to bond with an
organization that provides training so employees can succeed.”
Consistent with that, (Leonard, & Hilgert, 2004, p.107) stated that “motivation is a
willingness to exert effort toward achieving a goal, stimulated by the effort‟s ability to fulfill an
individual‟s needs.” Motivation strongly correlates with job satisfaction, and both act as essential
elements of organizational success. “The relationship between motivation and job satisfaction are
a bit more straightforward-as a matter of fact, many theories of motivation are also theories of
job satisfaction” as addressed by, (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006, p. 246). Empowered
employees and employee satisfaction are playing a vital role in influencing the company‟s
satisfaction. In addition, empowered employees will not only benefit themselves, but also the
overall performance of their organization.
According to (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006, p. 133), “motivation is anything that
provides direction, intensity, and persistence to behavior, it is also a sort of shorthand to describe
choosing an activity or task to engage in, establishing the level of effort, and determining the
degree of persistence in it over time.” Employees that have been motivated by their leaders have
a powerful energy that they‟ll be able to use in order to achieve the organization‟s set goals.
Bruce, (2006) “there is a direct correlation between fun on the job and employee productivity,
creativity, morale, satisfaction, retention, and profitability.” Enjoying work is a great way to
relieve stress and tension while improving communication, uniting employees, eliminating
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 17
boredom, and creating positive energy. Those who work at a fun workplace see their job as a
place to fulfill many of their needs, reinforcing their motivation to perform at a higher level.
“Often leaders have been conceived as having a relatively passive role in shaping
employee motivation and commitment, motivation was presumed to flow from the relation of
employee to job, and as long as the boss was neither a bored nor a bully, a “good” job would
provide “good” motivation” as stated by Sayles, (1989, p. 65). Employee motivation is crucial to
organizational success. There is a significant relationship between motivation and job
satisfaction. In fact, many theories of motivation are also theories of job satisfaction. The
following is a motivational theory that emphasizes human needs.
Referring to Leonard & Hilgert, (2004), Maslow‟s Hierarchy of needs theory is one of the
most widely accepted theories, and it emphasize that employees are motivated by five basic
needs. The following needs rank from the least important to the most important; this theory
asserts that humans aim for self-actualization. These include the physiological needs (air, heat,
food, base salary, etc.), the safety needs (work safety, job security, health insurance, etc.), the
need of belonging and affiliating with others (coworker, teams, departments, clients, supervisors,
etc.), the need of having a high self esteem (recognition, high status, responsibilities, etc.), and
last but not least the need of self-actualization (training, creativity, growth, advancement, etc.).
Leonard & Hilgert (2004) said that “Maslow‟s theory of motivation, which suggests that
employee needs are arranged in priority order such that lower-order needs must be satisfied
before higher-order needs become motivating.”
Motivating employees to work to their fullest potential is a vital element that leads them
to job satisfaction. Employees that are motivated will go after goals with enthusiasm and an
energy that can sometimes be contagious. “Fun is motivating because of the pleasure it creates,
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 18
when employees are feeling a bit down, stressed, tired, or just not in the mind to work up to their
abilities, a laugh can make a big difference” (Bruce, 2006, p. 74). This enthusiasm is also related
to the need of an employee to belong to his/her organization, an element fundamental to
Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs. “The lack of belonging produces strong needs that most people are
motivated to fulfill; Maslow believed that all individuals will try to satisfy the need to belong”
(Leatherman, 1992, p. 63). This shows the importance of belonging, or the feeling of being a part
of a work group.
Recognition is the main element in creating a motivating environment for employees.
Recognizing hard working employees who go above and beyond their job expectations plays a
crucial role in the level of satisfaction those employees feel towards their jobs. Therefore, leaders
should be clear about two things: their standards for the job and the rewards they are offering for
the completed job. Jenkins (2009) illustrated steps for a recognition program:
Document the program: The leader should define the incentives, rewards, and
opportunities for appreciation and anything else that will be included in the program.
Determine the rewards: Rewards can be low cost, such as: staff lunches, ice cream
socials, or even bringing baked goods as long as employees are rewarded with
something notable.
Create opportunities for recognition: Sometimes being recognized for a special
accomplishment or activity is better than a physical reward. Opportunities to offer
praise and recognition might be staff meetings, company meetings, e-mail alerts, and
verbal praise.
Announce the program: Leaders should make the new rewards and recognition
program a big deal. Announcing it during a company meeting and send the policy out
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 19
to all employees; this lets the staff know that the program is important and there is
sincerity in creating it.
Follow the policy: A policy is no good unless it is actually followed. Therefore,
employers must be advocates of the rewards and recognition program and encourage
others to stick with it, which will encourage employees to keep up with their great
work.
As seen from the recognition and reward program, leaders should think of incentives to
enrich the workplace and raise the benefits of working there. Today, leaders provide their
employees with some very unique incentives and morale boosters that contribute to an ever-
changing, exciting, and motivating work environment, Bruce (2006).
Empowerment Processes and Benefits
As quoted by Ueno (2008) “empowerment can increase employee loyalty, motivation,
participation, involvement, commitment, self-esteem, adaptability to change, and satisfaction,
and will help to reduce problems of role stress, role ambiguity, employee turnover, and
absenteeism.” Employee empowerment is a process of interaction where the employee is able to
participate in decision making and other important responsibilities. Leaders who empower their
employees are known for valuing discussion of diverse perspectives, and being able to trust their
followers to make vital decisions. Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, (2006), in their book defined
empowerment as having two key components. For leaders to truly empower employees, they
must delegate leadership and decision making down to the lowest level possible. Rogers and
Blenko (2007, p. 3) indicated that “making decisions and making them happen quickly are the
hallmarks of high-performing organizations.” Employees are often the closest to the problem and
have the most information, and as such can often make the best decisions. Empowered
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 20
employees feel strong, confident, capable, and can accomplish more through sharing
responsibility and authority, which helps employees to perform better, said Bruce (2006).
The four psychological components of empowerment that can be examined to determine
the empowered employee include self-determination, sense of meaning, high competence, and
high influence. “Empowered employees have a sense of self-determination; they are able to
make choices about what they do, how they do it, and when they need to get it done. Empowered
employees also have a strong sense of meaning, they believe what they do is important to them
and to the company‟s success. Empowered employees have a high level of competence in that
they know what they are doing and are confident that they can get the job done. Finally they
have high influence on others and believe that they can influence their teams or work units and
that co-workers and leaders will listen to their ideas,” stated (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006,
p. 272). It is important to experience all four of the components of empowerment mentioned
above in order for the individual to truly benefit from being empowered. Those organizations,
which want to touch on the benefits of employee empowerment, need to create an environment
that will generate the empowerment within their organization, as founded by Ongori, (2009) in
his research.
The empowering process for employees takes many shapes and forms. It can be as simple
as listening and as complex as decision making. According to Patrick & Spence (2006) the
theoretical framework behind empowerment asserts that work environments that provide access
to information, resources, support, and the opportunity to learn and develop are empowering, and
enhance employees‟ power to accomplish work within an organization. The following are some
of the recommended processes for employee empowerment by Klose (1993):
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 21
Listening: Empowerment levels increase when employees are given the opportunity
to be heard. Though being heard is just as important as being responded to, so
employees must keep in mind that they should respond to their employees. In the end,
the combination of listening and being responsive to employees is an excellent
method for empowerment.
Training: The empowered feeling can be enhanced through training. The employees
who lack the necessary training to do their job may feel as though they are unable to
solve some work problems that come up. Training programs can give employees the
extra edge needed to be successful in their jobs. In addition, employees may need
training in areas which seem to have no relation to their jobs in order to become well-
rounded.
Encouragement: Encouragement by management and fellow employees is another
way of improving empowerment levels. It helps to provide employees with the
feeling things are being done right. In addition, encouragement is possible most of
the time through forgiving errors, focusing on assets and effort, and indication of
growth.
Necessary Resources: Employees must be provided with the necessary resources to
do their jobs. Their equipment and tools must constantly be functioning successfully.
And employee‟s ability to be proactive and reactive to the situation surrounding his or
her job is directly dependent upon the resources available.
Information: It is also essential to keep employees informed. Lack of communication
is one of the major causes for low employee empowerment. Employees should
constantly be informed of anything they need to know in order to get the job done.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 22
Matching: Employees should be matched to their tasks in accordance with their
experience and area of expertise. Also, they should be allowed to do jobs in which
they have been trained for. Therefore, enhancing empowerment levels can be
achieved by making sure an employee does the job he or she was hired for.
Decisions: Employees must be allowed to make decisions regarding the events
occurring in their jobs. Employees may start by making small decisions and
eventually increase to more important decisions. Also, managers must be willing to
let this process occur since not only will it increase the empowerment levels of all
employees, it will also free up managers from the responsibility of making all
decisions.
Ongori (2009) indicated that employee empowerment is said to have benefited many
organizations if managed and nurtured properly, especially in enhancing employee commitment
and reducing employee turnover. Employee empowerment provides significant benefits to the
organization, as founded by Fragoso (2000) in her research, and some of these benefits include:
a. It increases productivity and reduces overhead expenses, which are needed for
carrying on a business, i.e. salaries, rent, heat and advertising
b. It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters
c. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees
d. The leader and organization take advantage of the shared knowledge of workers
e. Managers simultaneously develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining
personal advancements
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 23
f. Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the
line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between
companies and their customers
g. Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service
in several competitive markets; therefore it will improve profits through repeated
business
h. Empowerment is a strong tool that increases profit and improve the bottom line
i. Empowerment is also the best way to promote a good long-lasting employee-
customer relationship
j. Empowerment brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their
inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with
a sense of personal and professional balance
k. It exercises employees' minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their
jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction
l. It results in personal growth since the whole process enlarges their feelings of
confidence and control in themselves and their companies
m. It is a process that makes workers utilizes their full potentials, and that enables
them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions
Empowerment is a mutually beneficial process that benefits all parties involved. First,
customers benefit from the excellence of the employees‟ service. Second, organizations benefit
from raised sales because of satisfied customers. Third, employees benefit from making their
managers and customers happy, therefore gaining confidence in their abilities and success. “The
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 24
core element of empowerment involves giving employee discretion (or latitude) over certain
task-related activities,” stated Ongori (2009).
Empowered employees have latitude to make decisions, are comfortable making those
decisions, believe what they do is important and are seen as influential members of their team, as
mentioned by (Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, 2006, p. 272). In other words, when employees feel
like they belong to the organization, they act as the protective owners in that they are more
willing to work harder and perform at a higher level. Bruce (2006) additionally remarked that
making employees feel as if the business is their own and they belong to it motivates them to
perform at a higher level.
Overall, the benefits of empowerment are many. They include diligent employees who
are satisfied with their jobs, are given the opportunity to act as leaders, and are able to perform
and enhance overall organizational productivity. Leaders must practice empowerment and
motivation in order for their employees to deliver an enhanced value and service experience to
the customer.
In general, the focus was on the effects of empowerment on increasing employee
satisfaction, and the role that the main styles of influential leadership played in that effect.
Sharlow‟s (2007) theory illustrated that people are strongly motivated by a system of reward and
punishment in transactional leadership. Therefore transactional leaders are more effective at
motivating employees by rewarding and recognizing their accomplishments than at empowering
them. From the cited sources above, it is clear that the transformational leader works harder to
empower and motivate his/her employees to greatly exceed their previous levels of
accomplishments because they put passion and energy into everything which, in the end, results
in individual, group, and organizational achievement beyond expectations.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 25
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Project Description
Studies in Management Consulting and Organizational Leadership (MCOL) include
helping organizations and managers understand the chaotic processes and problems that might
influence workplace behavior and performance. The other approach to doing so would be
through counseling and determining the clients‟ needs and wants. The purpose of counseling is
to empower individuals, groups, and organizations to grow and foster various aspects of their
lives as well as to discover their long-term goals and have a plan to achieve them. This
researcher‟s experiences allow her to work with people of a diverse background in a caring and
empathetic beneficial approach.
The main motive for this researcher is to help create a healthy organizational
environment by working with the management and leadership levels of an institution.
Management and leadership are the key factors that would influence the whole organization to
obtain the needed amount of change. Most importantly, leadership is the ability to get followers
to do what they do not want to do and to transform their attitude in order to make sure that they
enjoy doing it. Leadership is about having the right combination of communication skills,
authority, dependability, ethics, and the ability to motivate and empower others. Building an
effective management team that is able to work efficiently with every department within an
organization would form the ideal healthy organization.
The other motive for helping an organization is building an effective team and working
towards its organizational goals. Building a cooperative team is the most important aspect a
manager can work on to achieve success. Furthermore, the counselor‟s work in the
empowerment of managers and their teams is the ideal method to attain the desired level of
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 26
achievements. Management has to involve an effort to plan change and apply influence on
everyone. One of the most significant essentials for achievement is teambuilding and successful
leaders are the ones who can challenge, motivate, support, and empower their teams through
change.
This researcher had the opportunity to work with the Vice President (VP) of the TCF
bank Call Center to assess and modify the organizational environment and to create a unique
profile for the qualifications of each candidate in the employment process. Because of the
importance of communication between the consultant and client, the VP prepared a detailed
explanation of the problem, background information, and the appropriate solutions. After
describing the problems of the organization to this researcher, the VP presented a complete
summary of the qualifications and experiences of an ideal candidate, and also provided preferred
criteria for the different positions in the calling center and their importance to accomplishing the
mission and guiding principles of the company.
The company‟s mission statement states that the number one priority in the Call Center is
providing quality service to its customers. Moreover, the company is committed to making every
customer experience a helpful and informative one. In addition, the Call Center promises a
professional, courteous and engaged interaction in every conversation and a full dedication when
it comes to making it easy for customers to do business with TCF. This researcher‟s main job in
this project was to collaborate with the VP to find the right methods that would help make the
Call Center‟s mission a reality.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 27
Project Mechanisms
This researcher would use two significant personality assessments, I-Speak Your
Language and BASIS-A. Those selected assessments have had a reputation for having a great
impact on understanding job candidate‟s communication styles and personalities, and their
positive affect has been experienced by many major organizations. This researcher hopes to
attain the same level of success using these personality tests while helping the TCF bank Call
Center to improve its hiring process.
The I-Speak test helps managers to identify the primary and backup styles of their work
team and to evaluate the positive and negative behavioral implications. I-Speak is an extremely
important assessment designed to help establish an essential communications bond with other
people, regardless of personal style. This is an easy to use self-assessment tool that gives people
a profile of their most important communication styles. It helps to identify and understand the
various communication styles of others and appropriately adjust one‟s style to enhance
communication and relationship. There are four vital communication styles that normal
individuals convey; intuitor, thinker, feeler, and senser.
On the other hand, the BASIS-A assessment provides a quick and easy way to understand
how an individual's personality attributes are used to solve problems. BASIS-A measures five
major themes or interpersonal styles: Belonging-Social Interest, Going Along, Taking Charge,
Wanting Recognition, and Being Cautious. The BASIS-A is useful in organizational
consultation/training or whenever it is helpful to understand an individual‟s motivations, problem
solving strategies, and how the candidate will manage the assignments associated with a job. It is
also useful to help individuals understand the interaction of their personality attributes and
problem solving strategies related to work and relationships. Many professionals have found that
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 28
using the BASIS-A provides more reliable, valid, and time efficient information and insights
than other assessment procedures they have tried.
After examining the qualifications in the job descriptions with the VP of the TCF call
Center, this researcher worked on creating a profile of personality traits and communication
styles based on the tests and applied them to the appropriate position. For each position, this
researcher gave two options for each job candidate. Each option contains one trait from the I-
Speak test and another from the BASIS-A, as this researcher saw fitting. The following list is a
compilation of the alternative traits that an ideal candidate for each of the positions should have,
according to (Wheeler, Kern & Cureltte, 1993) and (I-Speak Your Language, 2002).
First option: Level 7 Agent: Intuitor “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
They tend to be comfortable discussing various aspects at the same time. They are
creative and have a very well developed ability to juggle ideas. They are good
communicators and accept others‟ opinions and suggestions. They are able to master
complex concepts quickly. They are comfortable taking charge of a group, tend to be
task-oriented, and can push to get a job done.
Second option: Level 7 Agent: Senser “I-Speak” / High Belonging-Social Interest
“BASIS-A”
They are able to get things done and tend to be pragmatically-oriented and enjoy making
things happens. Sensers seem to learn best through their direct personal experiences
rather than on a conceptual basis. They are reliable workers who commit themselves to a
task to make it success. Sensers tend to be very direct in their communication and have
little patience for rambling dialogues. They feel as if they belong in a group, and are
supportive, people-oriented, and cooperative.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 29
First option: Level 9 Agent: Feeler “I-Speak” / High Social Interest “BASIS-A”
They understand, facilitate, and respond to others. They place great values on personal
experience and harmony in their interactions with others. They are responsive to the
needs and feelings of the people around them (relationship focused). They feel as if they
belong in a group, and are supportive, people oriented, and cooperative.
Second option: Level 9 Agent: Intuitor “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
They are interested in what should be done in the future and committed to any changing
environment. They can move from one topic to another in a smooth and easy way. They
are able to develop profitable new directions or solutions that others have missed. They
are comfortable taking charge of a group, which includes instructing and leading others.
They tend to be task oriented and can push to get a job done.
First option: Lead: Thinker “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
They are driven by facts, logic, and reason. They like to look at the evidence and then
reflect on the pros and cons before making any decision or judgment. They identify
problems and develop solutions, and they tend to be very rational individuals with an
extremely open mind. They demonstrate objectivity, are task-focused and often critical.
They are comfortable taking charge of a group and leading others. They are task-oriented
and push to get a job done.
Second option: Lead: Senser “I-Speak” / High Going Along “BASIS-A”
They place high value on action and thrive on getting things done. They are able to get
things done and are likely to express a direct, down-to-earth, and energetic approach to
work and life. They are idea-oriented and tend not to accept an idea until they have seen
it translated into something practical and workable. They know what is expected of them
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 30
and what the rules are so that they can judge how to behave properly. They tend to be
agreeable and prefer to avoid confrontations.
First option: Supervisor: Senser “I-Speak” / Low being Cautious “BASIS-A”
They are concrete, pragmatic, detail-oriented, and realistic. They pay attention to facts
and details, relying on information that is practical and useful. They focus on the present
and what is happening, and ask lots of “what” and “how” questions in order to get things
done. They work diligently to coach the less skillful on the team to develop their skills as
well. They trust that problems can be solved and the company‟s needs will be met, and
they value real-life experiences.
Second option: Supervisor: Intuitor “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
Intuitors place high value on ideas, concepts, innovation, and long-range planning. They
are able to assist in identifying problems, policy-making, prioritizing program
development, coordinating, and innovatively pulling together the efforts of a variety of
groups or functions. They are comfortable taking charge of a group, which includes
instructing and leading others. They probably have an assertive, take charge approach to
life, and tend to be task-oriented and can push to get a job done.
Problem Resolution
First option: Admin and Support Specialist: Senser “I-Speak” / Low Going Along
“BASIS-A”
Sensers want details and specifics and place high value on action. They are quick to put
into action that needs to be done and judge the actions of others as evidence of their
commitment to a given task. They are able to get things done and are likely to express a
direct and energetic approach to work and life. They like clear and concrete information;
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 31
and dislike guessing when facts are fuzzy. They are more task-oriented and focused on
getting the job done according to the requirements.
Second option: Admin and Support Specialist: Feeler “I-Speak” / Low Belonging
“BASIS-A”
Feelers try to understand and analyze their own emotions and those of others, and have
great concern for people, and often have an excellent understanding of them. They spend
too much time talking about the past, and rely too much on personality. Feelers are good
at encouraging and supporting others, and are extremely skilled communicators and
facilitators. They may be more comfortable and creative when allowed to do things by
themselves, and they may be more easily interactive with one person or just a few others
as opposed to a bigger group of people.
First option: Problem Resolutions Specialist: Thinker “I-Speak” / Low Belonging-
Social Interest “BASIS-A”
Thinkers make decisions based on objective and impersonal logic and what clearly makes
sense. They tend to see the cause and effect of the problem and look at it with a critical
and reasoning eye. They are highly motivated by achievement, have a high self-
confidence, are aware of their own strengths and have no doubts about their abilities.
They like to get to the bottom of things because curiosity is one of their strongest
motives. Thinkers are quite independent of social relationships and are very self-
sufficient. They are able to develop a vision and use that vision as a foundation for
strategic thinking and planning.
Second option: Problem Resolutions Specialist: Intuitor “I-Speak” / Low Going Along
“BASIS-A”
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 32
Intuitors like to brainstorm and are comfortable developing and relying on hunches when
facing a problem. In problem-solving situations, they tend to inspire others to think in
creative ways. However, they frequently do not succeed in fully explaining the details
behind their concepts. When giving facts and details, they want to know how these apply
to the larger issues being examined. They tend to be independent thinkers who don‟t
mind disagreeing, because it gives them a chance to express their opinions. They tend to
see the big picture, and their bent toward free-spiritedness can be an asset in many
situations. They also can be aggressive and combative in pursuit of goals.
First option: Technical Writer: Intuitor “I-Speak” / High Wanting Recognition
“BASIS-A”
Intuitors are conceptual, synthesizing, inductive reasoning, and projecting individuals.
They place high value on ideas, innovation, concepts, theories, and long-range thinking.
They talk about the future implications of activities and engage in making things correct.
They focus on the longer term perspective and prefer to see the whole picture first and get
the finer details later. They are most comfortable when the people they respect give
recognition and approval for their success.
Second option: Technical Writer: Feeler “I-Speak” / High Belonging “BASIS-A”
Feelers appreciate communication that reflects values, harmony, and sensitivity to others.
They want to assure that complete research, data, and documentation is accomplished.
Feelers tend to be friendly, approachable, and agreeable. They are respected for their
patience, listening skills, and the accuracy of their observations. They are supportive,
people-oriented, and cooperative. They feel as if they belong to a group, which is
considering an aspect of social interest.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 33
Training/Quality
First option: Trainer (1 & 2): Feeler “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
Feelers enjoy the stimulation of “personal” relations and are responsive to the needs and
feelings of the people with whom they come in contact. A feeler is someone who is
eagerly familiar to subtle changes in other people‟s behaviors, and is intelligent in
reading between the lines about what motivates them. Feelers are good at providing
encouragement and support to others and may go out of their way to do so. They assume
that others see and do things as they do and they expect their actions and communication
to be understood by others. Overall, a feeler is friendly, approachable and agreeable.
Second option: Trainer (1 & 2): Senser “I-Speak” / Low Going Along“BASIS-A”
Sensers are people who move forward with determination. Even if working on a variety
of projects at once, sensers can still demonstrate what seems to be an incredible amount
of attention to detail. Sensers are steadfast and reliable workers who have committed
themselves to a task which will move mountains to make the undertaking a success. They
are resourceful, well organized, pragmatic, and hard driving. They tend to be
independent thinkers and they don‟t mind disagreeing, because it gives them a chance to
express their own opinions. They tend to see the big picture and their free-spiritedness
can be an asset in many situations.
First option: Communications Coordinator: Intuitor “I-Speak” / High in Belonging-
Social Interest “BASIS-A”
Intuitors assume that others see things as they do, and expect their actions to be
understood by everyone. They like things to be stated generally and tend to present
insights, concepts, and ideas first. They want to know the challenges and future
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 34
implications for a current action, they develop profitable new directions or solutions that
others have missed and recognized for their ideas, and they inspire others to think outside
the box and be more innovative. They feel attached to the group and have the sense of
belonging, and they are supportive, cooperative, and people-oriented.
Second option: Communications Coordinator: Thinker “I-Speak” / High Being
Cautious “BASIS-A”
Thinkers are logical, results-oriented, deliberative, and very objective individuals. They
make decisions based on facts, data, details, and information. They prefer observation
and proof and are very disciplined and consistent in analyzing data. They like to get to
the bottom of things through because of their curiosity. Being cautious is an issue in their
life, and may affect their reactions to life in two ways. They may be sensitive to cues
from the environment and others and good at reading nonverbal behaviors. Or, they may
not care about what others think and can act without worrying about consequences.
First option: Quality Specialist: Senser “I-Speak” / High Being Cautious “BASIS-A”
Sensers provide the necessary details, either in the presentation or in an appendix. They
focus on the details on each slide and determine information through careful observation.
They are hard working, focus on the bottom line, organized and realistic, good at multi-
tasking, ask a wide array of questions, and are not slightly concerned with the long-range
picture.
Second option: Quality Specialist: Intuitor “I-Speak” / Low Social Interest “BASIS-A”
Intuitors are creative and have a very well-developed ability to juggle ideas. They are
good communicators and expect others to share opinions and suggestions. They are able
to master complex concepts quickly. They are conceptual, synthesizing, and projecting.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 35
They place high value on ideas, innovation, concepts, theories, and long-range thinking.
They are more comfortable and creative when allowed to do things by themselves. They
may be more at ease when interacting with one person or just a few others.
Workforce Management
First option: Schedule: Thinker “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
Thinkers make decisions based on facts, data, details, and information. They prefer
observation and proof and are very disciplined and consistent in analyzing data. They
seek to be task oriented in order to get a job done; they take charge of a group, and enjoy
leading others.
Second option: Scheduler: Senser “I-Speak” / Low Going Along “BASIS-A”
Sensers are concrete, pragmatic, detail-oriented, and realistic individuals who thrive on
getting things done. They want details and specifics and place high value on action. They
work on a wide variety of tasks at once, and they are reliable people who commit
themselves to a task and make it successful. They are independent thinkers who don‟t
mind disagreeing, because it gives them a chance to express their opinions. They can be
aggressive and combative in pursuit of goals. They tend to see the big picture and their
free-spiritedness can be an asset in many situations.
First option: Coordinator: Senser “I-Speak” / High Belonging-Social Interest “BASIS-
A”
Sensers place high values on action and thrive on getting things done as they work on a
wide variety of tasks at once. They are reliable people who commit themselves to a task
and make it successful. They are well organized, pragmatic, hard driving and demonstrate
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 36
incredible attention to details. They tend to be very direct in their communication. They
are supportive, people-oriented, and cooperative.
Second option: Coordinator: Thinker “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-A”
Thinkers are analyzing, systematic, objective, and logical individuals. Thinkers generally
function in a steady, tenacious manner, and they tend to avoid emotionalism and
speculation and are dependable when the emotions around them run high. They are often
seen as consistent producers. They are comfortable taking charge of a group, which
includes instructing and leading others. They probably have an assertive, take-charge
approach to life, and tend to be task-oriented and can push to get a job done.
First option: Technical Analyst: Senser “I-Speak” / Low Going Along “BASIS-A”
They are energetic and their approach to problem solving is very practical. They evaluate
growth and progress in specific and measurable ways and they tend to see the big picture.
They base opinion on personal experiences and are result-oriented. They tend to be
independent thinkers who don‟t mind disagreeing because it gives them a chance to
express their opinions.
Second option: Technical Analyst: Thinker “I-Speak” / Low Social Interest “BASIS-A”
Thinkers tend to be principled individuals who are respected for their ability to treat
everyone fairly. They are logical, result-oriented individuals who tend to be valued for
their thoughtful analysis rather than for their skill in mobilizing the enthusiasm of others.
They can be highly effective in organizing themselves and others to research and plan in
systematic ways. They tend to be logical and objective in their approach to problem
solving. They are more comfortable and creative when allowed to do things by
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 37
themselves, and they may be more at ease interacting with one person or just a few
others.
Project Management
First option: BSA1 & BSA2: Thinker “I-Speak” / Low Going Along “BASIS-A”
Thinkers are logical, results oriented, deliberative, and very objective people. They rely
on observations and rational principles, avoiding emotionalism, and tend to have high
value on logic, objectivity, and systematic inquiry. They tend to be independent thinkers
who don‟t mind disagreeing, because it gives them a chance to express their opinions and
perspectives as they see the big picture.
Second option: BSA1 & BSA2: Senser “I-Speak” / Low Social Interest “BASIS-A”
Sensers are concrete, pragmatic, detail-oriented, and realistic individuals. They pay
attention to facts and details and rely on information that is practical and useful. Sensers
are able to get things done and are likely to express a direct and energetic approach to
work. They are resourceful, well organized, and hard driving people. Sensers are more
comfortable and creative when allowed to do things by themselves.
First option: Project Management: Senser “I-Speak” / High Taking Charge “BASIS-
A”
Sensers place a high value on action and thrive on getting things done. They have a direct
and effective communication style. They are engaged in activities that provide them with
opportunities for concrete, tangible, and immediate feedback because their approach is
action-oriented and down to earth. They tend to be the driving force and the dependable
players within an organization. Sensers demonstrate what seems to be an incredible
amount of attention to details when working on a variety of projects at once. They are
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 38
task oriented and can push to get a job done as they are comfortable taking charge of
group and leading others.
Second option: Project Management: Thinker “I-Speak” / High Going Along “BASIS-
A”
Thinkers like to get to the bottom of things as curiosity is one of their strongest motives.
They make decisions based on facts, data, details, and information. Thinkers tend to
extend their logical and sometimes impersonal approach to others through their written
communications. Their writing tends to be connected to the consistency or cohesiveness
of the ideas of facts presented. They know what is expected of them and what the rules
are so that they can judge how to behave properly. They tend to be agreeable and prefer
to avoid confrontations.
The two recommended options of the assessment results create a more flexible
employment process for the staffing department as there exists a wider range of characteristics
for them to choose from. In addition, the multiple options maximize the traits to look for in the
search for an ideal employee for each position. Refer to Appendix A, TCF Career Path: Call
Center Operations, for an illustration of how the different positions in the organization operate
together.
Project Development
Empowering employees of an organization and motivating them to bring out their
leadership potential is the key element of this project. Influential leaders have the capability to
empower and encourage employees to enhance their job satisfaction. By placing employees in
the right position according to their communication style and their personality traits can and will
provide them with a stronger sense of belonging and the incentives to perform at their highest
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 39
expectations. This researcher‟s main purpose in conducting personality and communication
assessments was to aid the process of job placement for the human resource officials in order to
maximize employee satisfaction and lengthen their retention and success in the organization over
the long run.
After deep examinations of the situation in the Call Center, this researcher proposed the
detailed circumstances of this project to the Vice President. Suggestions were provided by this
researcher to conduct training sessions to the Human Resource department. This training was a
measure to thoroughly explain the methodology and instruments needed to perform the
mechanisms of this project. Unfortunately, implementation of the project was rejected by the
TCF Call Center. Various causes led to this refusal, including internal conflicts between upper-
level leaders of the company, as well as disagreement on the proposed costs of the two
assessments.
Regardless of that adversity, this project would have yielded guaranteed profit to the
organization in ways that would have benefitted not only the employees, but also the customers
of the company. Implementing this project would have established an effective long term plan
that would lead an effective organization built on satisfied and empowered employees.
Moreover, it is important to remember how the internal conflicts of the company play an
enormous factor in the unhealthiness of the organization, so the first step here is to determine
those issues and find ways to rise above them in order to move on and transform the company
into a more healthy organization.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 40
CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Summary
Organizations are comprised of multiple levels of working elements interacting together
to produce a profitable product or service. The leaders of such organizations are the vital engines
that give power to employees to perform their best and reach their potential. They also act as the
connecting body between the different yet essential loops in the organization. On the other hand,
leaders are essential to the process of employee empowerment which will ensure a deeper level
of employee satisfaction and profit.
The basis of influential leadership is the ability to not only support those employees who
are not up to par with their work, but also support those who are excelling to achieve even
further. Ideal leaders are those who possess a combination of transformational and transactional
leadership styles where the leader is able to manage the business efficiently while inspiring
change effectively. These leaders have a variety of skills that include, but are not limited to,
motivating, trusting, empowering, listening, guiding, supporting, and most importantly
maximizing the full potential of those around them.
Successful leaders are ones that value ideas and inputs from employees and give them the
sense of empowerment. This process includes sharing information and making decisions based
on the negotiations between leaders and employees that discuss the best method of solving a
problem. Empowering employees by giving them an opportunity to give their opinion in the
decision-making process provides them with a higher level of confidence. In addition,
empowerment is beneficial to the organization as well because empowered workers make up
powerful organizations.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 41
Empowerment is an essential cause of employee satisfaction, which is a measure of how
pleased workers are with their job and work environment. Satisfied employees are much more
loyal and committed to maintaining a high quality of work that exceeds the expectations of their
organization. These high-performing, satisfied workers are much more willing to exert effort
toward achieving the set goals of the company. Overall, they will benefit themselves by being
recognized for their accomplishments, and most importantly, they will benefit the organization‟s
performance and effectiveness in achieving its goals.
Utilizing the right combination of leadership styles, empowerment of employees, and
maintaining their job satisfaction are key elements to the transformation of organizations from
unhealthy conditions to effective and healthy ones. Employees of such healthy organizations are
believed to have acquired the three basic human needs which Adler believed to be the basis of
social interest. Feelings of safety, significance, and belonging are the most vital human goals, as
Adler emphasized, because they give humans a sense of contribution to the greater social good.
In the realization of the basic human needs, people are in constant collaboration with
each other as they strive to develop and achieve in order to live their life better. Moreover,
people are in a constant need to develop a sense of belonging as they work to contribute to the
world around them. “Success, in Adler's terms, dealt with how we fit into the environment while
being true to ourselves” (Daniels, 2011). A person must cooperate with and contribute to the
organization to aim for both personal and organizational goals. In a typical situation of change,
an organization will win employees‟ cooperation, helping them to develop a sense of
significance through contributing to others, minimizing their inferiority feelings, stimulating
their courage, guiding them to be active, and helping them to feel like a significant part of the
organization.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 42
Conclusion
To build a successful organization, change that leads to a healthy, positive, and effective
organization must be implemented. In order to achieve that immense goal, organizations must
have an effective plan which involves everyone within the organization. This researcher
provided a significant long term plan for the TCF bank Call Center in order to assist the
organization to become effective and sufficient. The main purpose of this project was to create a
plan that would establish an easier and more effective hiring process and maximize employee
retention. This was made possible through high quality personality and communication
assessments that helped place new employees in the best position possible based on a profile of
their skills, qualifications, and personality traits.
Overall, the methodology of the project illustrates how the theories presented earlier can
be applied to assist an actual organization‟s issues. In helping the TCF bank Call Center establish
a healthy organization, this researcher had the opportunity to obtain information regarding the
company‟s operations and various other data. Working with the Vice President made this
researcher realize that the main concern at hand was making the organization‟s mission more
feasible. The collected data and company information portrayed to this researcher the need for
assessing the hiring process of new employees. The two assessments utilized gave this researcher
a clear backdrop on the type of personality and communication style needed for an ideal
candidate for each position.
The two assessments used in this project, the I-Speak Your Language and the Basis-A,
helped to identify the key personality traits in each candidate as well as develop effective
strategies for communication within the organization. Therefore, alternative characteristics were
created for each position based on the multitude of possible qualities necessary for an ideal
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 43
candidate to possess. The two options available for each position consist of a combination of two
traits: one from the personality test, and another from the communication test. This gives the
human resource department a wider array of candidates that would be viewed as ideal for the
position.
Although the methods presented in this project were not utilized by the company due to
several internal and external conflicts, this researcher was able to create a profile of the
personality type and communication style of the ideal candidate for each position. In addition,
the idea of using assessments to place employees in the right positions correlates strongly with
Adlerian principles, and this researcher was able to make that connection through the notions of
safety, significance, and belonging: the three elements that base the fundamental beliefs of
Alfred Adler.
When employees are placed in jobs that fit well with their personality traits, they feel a
much greater sense of belonging to the organization. In addition, when placing employees in
accordance with their qualifications, as can be done through the communications assessment
results, the employees will be performing at a high level of excellence. As a result, employees
will feel safe as they exceed expectations in their performance and establish stability without
fears of losing their job.
The TCF Call Center has a set of specific guiding principles to steer them towards
achieving their mission. These guiding principles are in agreement with this researcher‟s thesis,
which is concerned with employee empowerment and satisfaction. First, the Call Center is
committed to employee development through empowerment and recognition. The center will
provide its employees with the necessary tools and systems to ensure that they effectively
perform their job. Second, the Call Center promises to foster employee satisfaction through
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 44
promoting and sustaining employee engagement. The center promises to work collaboratively to
achieve an environment where respect and open communication are valued and inclusive
decision-making prevails. The TCF Call Center‟s initial priority is providing great customer
services, and that would not occur without empowering its employees and encouraging them to
achieve the highest satisfaction from each customer.
Finally, followers see leaders as role models when it comes to the combination of
positive and effective behaviors as well as their outlook on approaching different circumstances.
Leaders act as the primary source of influence on followers who get inspired and motivated by
the diligence of their leaders. Anyone can be a successful leader by adapting a combination of
the styles, qualities, and aspects mentioned earlier. This researcher believes strongly in the
superiority of influential leadership in motivating, inspiring, and empowering employees,
changing to a positive organizational direction, and building the next generation of leaders.
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 45
Appendix A:
TCF Career Path: Call Center Operations
Problem
Resolution
Lead
Agent
Level 9
Agent
Level 7
Analyst
Trainer
Supervisor
Project
Manager
Career Path
Throughout
TCF
tcf
1 Year
Able to participate in
Nesting Program at 1
year
6 Months - 1 Year
Able to participate in
High Potential Program
at 6 months
3-5
Years
3-5
Years
3-5
Years
EMPOWERMENT RESULTS IN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION 46
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Recommended