Chapter 4
Participative Leadership, Delegation, and
Empowerment
Lectured by Dr. Tan Saroeun, NUM
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Leadership in Organizations
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Learning Objectives

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Understand what research methods have been
used to study participative leadership
Understand the major findings in research on
consequences of participative leadership
Understand the situations in which participative
leadership is most likely to be effective
Understand the major findings in research on the
normative theory of leader decision making
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Learning Objectives (Cont.)
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Understand procedures for the effective use of
consultation
Understand the potential benefits and risks of
delegation
Understand when and how to use delegation
effectively
Understand why follower perceptions of
empowerment are important
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Varieties of Participation

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Autocratic Decision
Consultation
Joint Decision
Delegation
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1.Autocratic Decision
The manager makes a decision alone without
asking for the opinions or suggestions of
other people, and these people have no direct
influence on the decision; there is no
participation.
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Example
The United States’ Presidency must personally be more
responsible for the country than anybody. Nobody can make
a decision instead of the President. During his important
decisions, to be a President of the United States thus is very
lonely.
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2. Consultation
The manager asks other people for their
opinions and ideas, then makes the decision
alone after seriously considering their
suggestions and concerns.
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3.Joint Decision
The manager meets with others to discuss the
decision problem and make a decision
together; the manager has no more influence
over the final decision than any other
participant.
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4. Delegation
The manager gives an individual or group the
authority and responsibility for making a decision;
the manager usually specifies limits within which the
final choice must fall, and Prior approval may or may
not be required before the decision can be
implemented.
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Consequences of Participative Leadership
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Consequences of Participative Leadership (Cont.)

Potential Benefits of Participation
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Decision quality
Decision acceptance
Satisfaction with the decision process
Development of participant skills
Objectives of Different Participants
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1. Decision Quality

Increase the quality of a decision when
participants have information and
knowledge lacked by the leader and are
willing to cooperate in finding a good
solution to decision problem.
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2. Decision Acceptance
 People who have considerable influence in
making a decision tend to identify with it and
perceive it to be their decision.
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2. Decision Acceptance (Cont’d)
Participation also provides a better
understanding of the nature of the decision
problem and the reasons why a particular
alternative was accepted and others rejected.
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2.Decision Acceptance (cont.)
 Participants gain a better understanding of
how they will be affected by a decision,
which is likely to reduce any unwarranted
fears and anxieties about it.
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3.Satisfaction with the Decision Process
 The opportunity to express opinions and
preferences before a decision is made (voice)
can have beneficial effects regardless of the
amount of actual influence participants have
over the final decision (choice).
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4. Development of Participant Skills
The experience of helping to make a complex
decision can result in the development of
more skill and confidence by participants.
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Research on Effects of Participative
Leadership
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Example of Research on Participation – Bragg &
Andrews (1973)
Effects of Participation
Limitations of Participation Research
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Measurement problems with survey field research
Combining interventions
Short-term programs
Difficulty comparing results across studies
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model
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Decision Procedures
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AI – Leader makes decision without any additional
information
AII – Leader seeks information and makes decision
alone
CI – Leader shares problem with others individually
and makes decision alone
CII – Leader shares problem with others collectively
and makes decision alone
GII – Group discusses problem collectively and the
group makes the decision
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model (Cont.)
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model (Cont.)

Situational Variables
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The amount of relevant information possessed by
leader and subordinates
The likelihood that subordinates will accept an
autocratic decision
The likelihood that subordinates will cooperate if
allowed to participate
The amount of disagreement among subordinates
with respect to preferred alternatives
The extent to which the decision is unstructured and
requires creative problem solving
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model (Cont.)

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Decision Acceptance – Degree of commitment to
implement a decision effectively
Decision Quality – Objective aspects of the
decision that affect group performance aside from
any effects mediated by decision acceptance
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model (Cont.)
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Jago Model
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Incorporates additional aspects of the situation
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Incorporates additional outcome criteria
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Severe time constraints
Amount of subordinate information
Geographical dispersion of subordinates
Concern for subordinate development
Concern for decision time
Managers given more choices in setting priorities
for the criteria in the model
Allows managers to differentiate among five
choices in describing the situation
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Normative Decision Model
Simplified Version
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Normative Decision Model
Vroom and Yetton Model (Cont.)

Research on the Model
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Some support but more research needed
Extended model needs to be tested
Conceptual Weaknesses
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Decision processes are treated as single, discrete
episodes
The model is too complicated
Leaders are assumed to have necessary skills to use
the various decision procedures
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Guidelines for Participative Leadership

Diagnosing Decision Situations
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Evaluate how important the decision is
Identify people with relevant knowledge or expertise
Evaluate likely cooperation by participants
Evaluate likely acceptance without participation
Evaluate whether it is feasible to hold a meeting
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Guidelines for Participative Leadership (Cont.)
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Encourage Participation
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Encourage people to express their concerns
Describe a proposal as tentative
Record ideas and suggestions
Look for ways to build on ideas and suggestions
Be tactful in expressing concerns about a suggestion
Listen to dissenting views without getting defensive
Try to utilize suggestions and deal with concerns
Show appreciation for suggestions
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Delegation
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Varieties of Delegation
Potential Advantages of Delegation
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Improvement in decision quality
Greater subordinate commitment
Making subordinates’ jobs more interesting, challenging,
and meaningful
Improved time management
Important form of management development
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Potential Advantages of Delegation
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Delegation (Cont.)
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Reasons for Lack of Delegation
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Aspects of the leader’s personality
Fear of subordinate making a mistake
High need for personal achievement
Characteristics of the subordinate
Nature of the work
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Reasons for Lack of Delegation
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Guidelines for Delegation
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What to Delegate
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Tasks that can be done better by a subordinate
Tasks that are urgent but not high priority
Tasks relevant to a subordinate’s career
Tasks of appropriate difficulty
Both pleasant and unpleasant tasks
Tasks not central to the manager’s role
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Guidelines for Delegation (Cont.)
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How to Delegate
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Specify responsibilities clearly
Provide adequate authority and specify limits of
discretion
Specify reporting requirements
Ensure subordinate acceptance of responsibilities
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Delegation (Cont.)
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How to Manage Delegation
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Inform others who need to know
Monitor progress in appropriate ways
Arrange for the subordinate to receive necessary
information
Provide support and assistance, but avoid reverse
delegation
Make mistakes a learning experience
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Perceived Empowerment
Nature of Psychological Empowerment
Psychological Empowerment describes how the intrinsic
motivation and self-efficacy of people are influenced by
leadership behavior, job characteristics, organization
structure, and their own needs and values.
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Perceived Empowerment
 Empowerment Programs
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Leader Selection and Assessment
Democratic Decision Procedures
Shared Leadership Responsibilities
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Consequences of Empowerment
Benefits
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Stronger task commitment
Greater initiative in carrying out role responsibilities
Greater persistence in the face of obstacles and
temporary setbacks
More innovation and learning
Higher job satisfaction
Stronger organizational commitment
Less turnover
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Consequences of Empowerment (Cont.)
Costs and Risks
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Higher costs for selection and training
Higher labor costs for skilled employees
Inconsistent service quality
Expensive giveaways and bad decisions by some
employees
Customer feeling's of inequity about unequal
treatment
Opposition by middle managers who feel threatened
Conflicts from raising employee expectations beyond
what top management is willing to concede
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Conditions Facilitating Psychological
Empowerment
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Guidelines for Empowerment
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